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1.101. e »to
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_k. L
GENERAL
BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY.
A NEW EDITION.
«
VOL.. V.
ADVERTISEMENT.
The Pablick are respectfully informed that
VOLUME SIXTH
of the
BIOGRAPHICAL- PICTIONARY
^ ' t^ill be publisjied on , ftonday, NoTejniBqr. Jj|^ ,
4nd the subsequent Volumes every Two Months.
This change iti the periods of Publication has beei/
found absolutely necessary, from the accumulation of New
Lives, and the imperfect state in which many of the old
ones were given in the former Edition, The Volume
now before the Reader affords a striking instance of how
much is wanted to render .the Work, what, in the present
state of biographical materials, it ought to be. Of THREE
HUNDRED AND FORTY SEVEN Lives in this Volume, TWO
HUNDRED AND FOURTEEN are NeW, SIXTY EIGHT are RE-
WRITTEN, and SIXTY FIVE only have been* retained from
the former Edition, the greater part of which have required
many additions and alterations.. The Editor, therefore,
hopes that his anxiety to render the Biographical Dic-
tionary more complete and useful, will reconcile the
Publick to this change in the mode of Publicajion, which,
while it does not materially lessen his labours, will at least
afford time to fulfil his future engagements without in*
terruption.
September 1, 1812.
THE GENERAL
BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY:
CONTAINING
AN fflSTORICAL AND CRITICAL ACCOUNT
OF THB
LIVES AND WRITINGS
OF THK
MOST EMINENT PERSONS
IN EVERY NATION;
PARTICULABLT THE BRITISH AMD IRISH i
FROM THE EARI<IEST'ACCOUMTS TO THE PRESENT TIME*
, . A NEW EDITION,
REVISED AND ENLARGED BY
ALEXANDER CHALMERS, F. S. A.
VOL. V.
LONDON:
wmnmui for j. michols and son ; f. c. and j. ritinqton } t. payne )
W. OTRIDGE AND SON ; O. AND W. NICOL ; WiUUE AND ROBINSON^ |
3. WALKER ; R. LEA ; W. LOWNDES ; WHITE, COCHRANE^ AND CO. ;
J», OEIOIITON ; T. EGERTON; LACKINGTON, ALLEN, AND CO. ; J. CARPENTER |
LONGMAN, HURST, RER8, ORME, AND BROWN ; CADELL AND DA VIES ; C. LAW ;
J. BOOKER ; J. CUTHELL; CLARKE AND SONS; J. AND A. ABCH ; J. HARRIS;
BLACK, PARRY, AND CO. ; J. BOOTH ; J. MAWMAN ; GALE AND CURTIS ;
B. H. EVANS; J. HATCpARp; |. HARDING; R. BALDW^V^^^ MURRAY; J. JOHN-
SON AMD CO. ; £. BRJMKIY ^ ^OIB. Jk IfMyi.Iffg.
1812.
^II—IM ■ W
Ntdholfl, 8oit» and Bentlej, Printerst
A NEW AND GENERAL
BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY.
JoENVENUTI (Charles), an Italian Jesuit, physician,
and mathematician of considerable eminence, was born at
Leghorn, Feb. 8, 1716. He began his noviciate among
the Jesuits at the age of sixteen, but did not take the four
Tow^, according to the statutes of that order, until eighteen
years afterwards. He had already.published a funeiai ora-
tion on Louis Ancajani, bishop pf Spoleto, 1743, and a
species of oratorio, to be^i^ t(r\ipusic, entitled *^ Cristo
presentato al tempio,'* but' .#>wa^ueither as an orator or
poet that he was destined: to shi^^ yj^e became professor
of philosophy at Fermop'and when fisther Boscovich was
obliged to leave Rome tpVcqinplete the chorographical
chart of the papal state, which,! hV published' some years
afterwards, Benvenuti succeeded him in the mathemati-
cal chair of the Roman college, and also resumed his lec-
tures on philosophy in the same college. His first scientific
work was an .Italian translation of Clairaut's Geometry,
Rome, 1751, 8vo ; and he afterwards published two works,,
which gained him much reputation : 1. '^ Synopsis Physical
g^neralis,V a thesis maintained by one of his disciples,
the marquis de Castagnaga, on Benvenuti's principles,
which were those of sir Isaac Newton, Rome, 1754, 4to.
2. ** De Lumine dissertatio physica,'* another thesis main-
tained by the marquis, ibid. 1754, 4to« By both these he
contributed to establish the Newtonian system m room of
those fallacious principles which had so long obtained in
that college ; but it must not be concealed that a consider-
able part of this second work on light, belongs to father
Boscovich, as Benvenuti was taken iu before be had comr
pleted it, and after it was sent to press* After the expul*
VOL.V. B
2 BENVENUTL
' sion of the Jesuits, there appeared at Rome an attack
upon them, entitled ^^ Riflessioni sur Gesuitismo/' 1772,
to which Benvenuti replied in a pamphlet, entitled " Irre-
flessioni sur Gesuitismo -/' but this answer gave so much
offence, that he was obliged to leave Rome and retire into
Poland, where he was kindly received by the king, and
became a favourite at his court. He died at Warsaw, in
September, 1789.*
BENVENUTI (Joseph), an Italian surgeon, or rather
physician, was born in the territory of Lucca, about the
year 1728. He received the degree of doctor, began
practice at Sarzano in 1755, as a member of the faculty ; in
1756 was chosen member of the German imperial society ;
and in 1758 of the royal society of Gottingen, while he
was practising at the baths of Lucca. In 1753, he hap*
peued to be at a place in that republic, called Brandejglio,
where an epidemic fever of a particular kind prevailed,
which he treated with great success by means of mercury.
This formed the subject of bis treatise, entitled '^ Disser-*
tatio historico^epistolaris, &c.^' Lucca, 17549 8vo, ably de-
fending the preference he found it necessary to give to
mercury over the bark, and vindicating Dr. Bertini, of
whom he learned that method, against certain opponents.
BenvenutPs other works are, I. ^^ De Lucensium Therma-
rum sale tractatus," Lucca, 1758, 8vo. This he also transr-
lated into Italian, with a lettei* on the virtues of these
waters. 2* ^* Riflessioni sopra gli effetti del moto a ca-
vallo," Lucca, 1760, 4to. 3. ^' Dissertatio physica de
Lumine,'^ Vienne, 1761, 4to. 4. ^' De rubiginis frumentum
corrumpentis causa et medela,^* Lucca, 1762» 5. ^^ Ob«
servationum medicarum quae anatomiae superstructas sunt,-
coUectio prima,'' Lucca, 1764, 12mo. He also promoted
the publication of the first volume of the ^^ Dissertationes
et Quaestiones medic88 magis celebres," Lucca, 1757, 8vo.
Our authority does not give the date of his death. '
BENYOWSKY (Count Mauritius Augustus de), an
adventurer of very dubious, but not uninteresting charac-
ter, one of the Magnates of the kingdoms of Hungary and
Poland, was born in the year 1741> at Verbowa, the here-
ditary lordship of his family, situated in Nittria, in Hun-
gary. After receiving the education which the court of
Yieuna affords 'to the youth of illustrious families, at the
1 £iof . UniTcrseU^.— Diet. Hist. • IbiiL
"t
B E N Y O W S K Y* ^ S
age of fourteen years^ he fixed on the profession of arms.
He was accordingly received into the regiment of Siebens-
cbien, in quality of lieutenant; and joining the Imperial
army, then in the field against the king of Prussia, was
present at the battles of Lowositz^ Prague^ 3chweidnitz,
and Darmstadt. In 1758, he quitted the Imperial service
and hastened into Lithuania, at the instance of his uncle
the starost of Benyowsky, and succeeded as his heir to the
possession of his estates. The tranquillity, however, which
he now enjoyed was interrupted by intelligence of the sud-
den death of his father, and that his brothers-in-law had
taken possession of his inheritance. These circumstances
demanding his immediate presence in Hungary, he quitted
Lithuania with the sole view of obtaining possession of the
property of his family ; but his brothers-in-law by force
opposed his entrance into his own castle. He then re-
paired to Krussava, a lordship dependant on the castle of
Verbowa, where, after having caused himself to be ac-
knowledged by his vassals, and being assured of their
fidelity, he armed them, and by their assistance gained
possession of all his effects ; but bis brothers, having re-
presented him at the court of Vieniia as a rebel and dis-
turber of the public peace, the empress queen issued a
decree iu chancery against him, by which he was deprived
of his property, and compelled to withdraw into Poland.
He now determined to travel ; but after taking: several
voyages to Hamburgh, Amsterdam, and Plymouth, with
intention to apply himself to navigation, he received let-
ters from the magnates and senators of Poland, which in-
duced him to repair to Warsaw, where he joined the con-
federation then forming, and entered into an obligation,
upon oath, not to acknowledge the king, until the con-
federation, as the only lawful* tribunal of the republic,
should have declared him lawfully elected ; to oppose the
Russians by force of arms ; and not to forsake the colours
of the confederation so long as the Russians should remain
in Poland. Leaving Warsaw, in the month of December,
falC attempted to make his rights known at the court of
Vienna ; but disappointed in this endeavour, and deprived
of all hope of justice, he resolved to quit for ever the do*-
minions of the house of Austria. On bis return to Poland,
be was attacked, during his passage through the county of
Zips, with a violent fever; and being received into the
bouse of Mr» Heusky, a gentleman of distinction^ be paid
B 2
4 BENYOWSKY.
his addresses and was married to one of his three daugh<-
ters, but did not continue long in possession of happiness
or repose. The confederate states of Poland, a party of
.whom had declared themselves at Cracow, observing that
the count was one of the first who had signed their unioir
at Warsaw, wrote to him to join them ; and, compelled by
the strong tie of the oath he had taken, he departed with-
out informing his wife, and arrived at Cracow on the very
day count Panin made the assault He was received widhk
open arms by martial Czarnesky, aud immediately ap-
pointed colonel general, commander of cavalry, and quar-
ter-master-general. On the 6th of July 1768, he was de-^
tached to Navitaig to conduct a Polish regiment to Cracow,
and he not only brought the whole regiment, composed of
six hundred men, through the camp of the enemy before
the town, but soon afterwards defeated a body of Russians
at Kremenka; reduced Landscroen, which prince Lubo-
mirsky, who had joined the confederacy with two thousand
regular troops, had attempted in vain ; and, by his great
gallantry and address, contrived the means of introducing
supplies into Cracow, when besieged by the Russians:
but the count, having lost above sixteen hundred men in
affording this assistance to the town, was obliged to make
a precipitate retreat the moment he had effected his pur-
pose; and being pursued by the Russian cavalry, com-
posed of cossacks and hussars, he had the misfortune to
have his horse killed under him, and ,fell at last, after re-
ceiving two wounds, into the hands of the enemy. Apraxin,
the Russian general, being informed of the successful ma-
nceuvre of the count, was impressed with a very high opi-
nion of him, and proposed to him to enter into the Russian
service; but rejecting the overture with disdain, he was ^
only saved from being sent to Kiovia with the other prisoners
by the interposition of his friends, who paid 962 /. sterling
for his ransom. Thus set at liberty, he considered himself
as released from the parole which he had given to the Rus-
4sians ; and again entering the town of Cracow, he was re*
ceived with the most perfect satisfaction by the whole con-
federacy. The town being no longer tenable, it became an
ofagect of the utmost consequence to secure another place of
retreat; and the count, upon his own proposal andrequest^
was appointed to seize the castle of Lublau, situated on the
frontier of Hungary; but after visiting the commanding
officer of the castle, who was not apprehensive of the least
BENYOWSKY. 5
^nger, and engaging more than one half of the garrison
by oath in the interests of the confederation, an inferior
officer, who^was dispatched to assist him, indiscreetly di-
vulged the design, and the count was seized and carried
into the fortress of Georgenburgh, and sent from thence
to general Apraxin. On his way to that general, however,
he was rescued by a party of confederates, and returned
to Lublin, a town where the rest of the^ confederation of
Cracow had appointed to meet, in order to join those of
Bar, from which time he performed a yarie^ of gallant
actions, and underwent great vicissitudes of fortune. On
the 19th' of May, the Russian colonel judging that the
count was marching towards Stry, to join the confederate
parties at Sauok, likewise hastened his march, and arrived
thither half a day before the count, whose forces were
weakened by fatigue and hunger. In this state he was at-
tacked about noon by colonel Brincken, ait the head of four
thousand men. The count was at first compelled to
give way; but, on the arrival of his cannon, he, in his
turn^ forced the colonel to retire, who at last quitted the
field, and retreated towards Stry. The advantage of the
^victory served only to augment the misery of the Count,
who iivthis single action had three hundred wounded and
two hundred and sixty-eight slain, and who had no other
prospect before him than either to perish by hunger with
bis troops in the forest, or to expose himself to be cut to
pieces by the enemy. Oh the morning of the 20th, how*
ever, by the advice of his officers and troops, he resumed
his march, and arrived about ten o'clock at the village of
S^uka, where, being obliged to halt for refreshment, he was
surprised by a party of cossacks, and had only time to quit the
village and form his troops in order of battle on the plain, •
before he was. attacked by the enemy's cavalry, and soon
after by their infantry, supported by several pieces of can-
non, which caused the greatest destruction among his
forces. At length, after being dangerously wounded, the
Russians took him prisoner. The count was sent to the
. commander in chief of the Russian armies, then encamped
at Tampopl, who not only forbade the surgeons to dress
his wounds, but, after reducing him to bread and water,
loaded him with chains, and transported him to Kiow. On
his arrival at Polene, his neglected wound had so far en-
dangered his life, that his conductor was induced to apply
to cobnel Sirkow, the . commanding officer at that place.
6 BENYOWSKY.
and be was sent to the hospital,' cured of his wounds, and
afterwards lodged in the town, with an advance of fifty
roubles for his subsistence. Upon the afrival, however,
of brigadier Baiinia, who relieved colonel Sirkow in his
command, and who hacl a strong prejudice against the
count, he was again loaded with chains, and conducted to
the dungeon with the rest of the prisoners, who were al-
lowed no other subsistence than bread and water. Upon
his entrance he recognized several officers and soldiers who
had served under him ; and their friendship was the only
consolation he received in his distressed situation. Twenty-
tWQ days were thus consumed in a subterraneous prison,
together with eighty of his companions, without light, and
even witiioui air, except what was admitted through an
aperture which communicated with the casements. These
unhappy wretches were npt permitted to go out even on
their natural occasions, which produced such an infection,
that thirty -five of ihem died in eighteen or twenty days ;
and such were the inhumanity and barbarity of the com-
mander, that he suffered the dead' to remain and putrefy
^niong the living. On the 16th of July the prison was
opened, and one hundred and forty- eight prisoners, who
had survived out of seven hundred and eighty-two, were
driven, under every species of cruelty, from Polene to .
Kiow^ where the strength of the count's constitution,
which had hitherto enabled him to resist such an accumula-
tion of hardships and fatigue, at length gave way, and he was
attacked witb^ a malignant fever, and delirium. The go*
vernor, count Voicikow, being informed of his quality,
ordered that he should be separately lodged in a house,
and that two roubles a day should be paid him for sub-
sistence ; but when be was in a fair way of recovery, an
order amved from Petersburgh to send all the prisoners to
Cazan, and this severity bringing on a relapse, the officer
was obliged to leave the count at Nizym, a town depen-
dant on the government of Kiow. At this place, a Mr.
Lewner, a German merchant, procured him comfortable
accommodation, superintended the restoration of his health,
and on his departure made him a present of two hundred
roubles, which he placed for safety in the hands of the
officer until his arrival at Cazan, but who had afterwards
the effi-ontery to deny that he had ever received the
money, accused the count of attempting to raise a revolt
among the prisoners, and caused him to be loaded with
BENYOWSKY, 7
chains and committed to the prison of Cazan, from which
he was delivered at the pressing instances of marshal Czar-
nesky Potockzy, and the young Palaozky. He was then
lodged at a private house, and being invited to dine with
a man of quality in the place, he was solicited, and con-
sented to join in a confederacy against the government.
But on the 6th of November 1769, on a quarrel happening
between two Russian lords, one of them informed the go-
vernor that the prisoners, in concert with the Tartars,'
meditated a design against his persoq and the gs^rrison.
This apostate lord accused the count, in order to save his
friends and countrymen, and on the 7tb, at eleven at night,
the count not suspecting any such event, heard a knocking
at his door. He came down, entirely undressed, with a
candle in his band, to inquire the cause; and, upon
opening his door, was surprised to see an officer with
twenty soldiers, who demanded if the prisoner was at home.
On his replying in the affirmative, the officer snatched the
caudle out of his hand, and ordering his men to follow
him, went hastily up to the count^s apartment. The count
immediately took advantage of his mistake, quitted his
house, and, after apprising some of the confederates that
their. plot was discovered, he made his escape, and arrived
at Petersburgfr' on the 19 th of November, where he en-
gaged with a Dutch captain to take him to Holland. The
captain, however, instead of taking him outboard the en-
suing morning, pursuant to his premise, appointed him to
meet on the bridge over the Neva at* midnight, and there
betrayed him to twenty Russian soldiers collected for the
purpose, who carried him to count Csecserin, lieutenant-
general of the police. The count was conveyed to the
fort of St. Peter and St. Paul, confined in a subterraneous
dungeon, and after three days fast, presented with a mor-
sel of bread and a pitcher of water : but, on the 22d of
November 1769, he at length, in hopes of procuring his
discharge, was^ induced to sign a paper promising for ever
to quit the dominions of her imperial majesty, under pain
of death.
The count having signed this engagement, instead of
being set at liberty, was re-conducted to his prison, and
there confined till 4th December 1769, when, about two
hours after midnight, an oiEcer with seven soldiers came
to him ; and he was thrown upon a sledge to which two
horses were harnessed, and immediately driven away with
8 BE NY O W S K Y.
^
the greatest swiftness. The darkness of the night pre-
vented the count from discermng the objects around him ;
but on the approach of day-light he perceived that major
Wynblath, Vassili Panow, Hip^ohtus Stephanow, Asaph
Baturin, Ivan Sopronow, and several other prisoners, were
the companions of his misfortunes ; and after suiFering
from the brutality of theii: conductor a series of hardships,
in passing through Tobolzk, the capital of Siberia, the
city of Tara, the town and river of Tomsky, the villages
of Jaktitzk and Judoma, they embarked in the harbour of
Ochoczk, on the 26th October 1770, and arrived at
Kamschatka on the 3d December following. The eiisuing
day they were conducted before Mr. Nilow, the governor;
when it was intimated to them that they should be set at
liberty on the following day, and provided with subsistence
for three days, after which they must depend upon them-
selves for their maintenance ; that each person should re->
ceive from the chancery a musket and a lance, with one
pound of powder, four pounds of lead, a hatchet, several
knives and other instruments, and carpenter's tools, with
which they might build cabins in any situations they chose,
at the distance of one league from the town ; but that they
should be bound to pay in furs, during the first year, each
one hundred roubles, in return for these advantages ; that
everyone must work at the corvee one day in the week
for the service of government, and not absent themselves
from their huts for twenty-four hours without the governor*s
permission ; and after some other equally harsh terms, it
was added, that their lives being granted to them for no
other purpose .than to implore the mercy of God, and the
remission of their sins, they could be employed only in
the meanest works to gain their daily subsistence. Under
these regulations the exiles settled the places of their ha-
bitations, built miserable huts to shelter themselves from
the inclemency of the weather, formed themselves into a
congress, and after choosing the count de Benyowsky their
chief or captain, they swore with great solemnity mutual
friendship and eternal fidelity. Among the number of
unhappy wretches who bad long groaned under the miseries
of banishment, was a Mr. Crustiew, who bad acquired
considerable ascendancy over his fellow-sufferers ; and to
obtain the particular confidence and esteem of this man
was the first object of the count's attention ; in which he
80on succeeded. The pains and perils incident to the
B E N Y O W S K Y. 9
situation to which these men were reduced, were borne for
sometime in murmuring sufferance, until the accidental
finding an old copy of Anson's Voyage inspired tbeni with an
idea of making an escape from Kanischatka to the Marian
islands ; and the count, Mr. Panow, Baturin, Stephanow,
Solmanow, majors Wynblath, Crustiew, and one Wasili, an
old and faithful servant of the count's, who had followed his
master into exile, formed a confederacy for this purpose.
While these transactions were secretly passing, the fame
of count Benyowsky's rank and abilities reached the ear of
the governor; and as he spoke several languages, he was
after some time admitted familiarly into the house, and at
length appointed to superintend the education of his son
and his three daughters. ^^ One day," says the count,
^^ while I was exercising my office of language-master, the
youngest of the three daughters, whose name was Apha*
nasia, who was sixteen years of age, proposed many ques-
tions concerning my thoughts in my present situation,
which convinced me that her father had given them some
information concerning my birth and misfortunes. I there-
fore gave them an account of my adventures, at which
my scholars appeared to be highly affected, but the
youngest wept very much. She was a beautiful girl, and
her sensibility created much emotion in my mind — but,
alas, I was an exile !" The merits of the count, however,
soon surmounted the disadvantages of his situation, in the
generous mind of miss Nilow, and the increasing intimacy
and confidence which he daily gained in the family,^oined
to the advantages of a fine person and most insinuating
address, soon converted the feelings of admiration into
the flame of love; and on the 11th of January 1771, ma-
dame Nilow, the mother, consented that her daughter
should do the honours of an entertainment* then in con-
templation, and be publicly declared his future spouse.
But the count, though he had cultivated an4 obtained the
affections of his fair pupil, had acted more from policy
than passion, and, intending to use her interest rather as
a means of effectuating the meditated escape of himself
and his companions, than as any serious object of matri*
mouial upion, contrived to suspend the nuptials, by per«
suading the governor to make an excursion from Kam-
schatka to the neighbouring islands, with a view or under
pretence of establishing a new colony. During these trans-
actions the exiles were secretly at work ; and in order to
10 B E N Y O W S K Y.
conceal their design from all suspicion, Mr. Crustiew and
Mr. Panow were on the 30th of March deputed to wait on
the governor with five and twenty of their associates, fo
request that he would be pleased to receive the title of
Protector of the new colony ; and the embassy was not
only favourably received, but orders were given to pre-
pare every thing that might be necessary for the execution
of the project. At this crisis, however, .an accident oc-
curred which had nearly overturned the success of the
scheme; and as it tends to discover the disposition of the
count, we shall relate it in his own words.
** About ten o'clock this day (1st of April, 1771), I re-
ceived a message from, miss Nilow, that she would call on
me in the afternoon, requesting at the same time that I
would be alone, because she had affairs of importance to
communicate. A3 I supposed the latter part of this mes-
sage to be mere pleasantry, I was far from expecting any
extraordinary information ; and my surprise at the event
was niuch greater, as I had not the least reason to suppose
she had made any discovery of my intentions. Miss Nilow
arrived at three in the afternoon : her agitation on her first
appearance convinced me that she was exceedingly afflicted.
At sight of me she paused a moment, ^nd soon after burst
into tears, and threw herself into my arms, crying out,
that she was unfortunate and forsaken. Her sighs and tears
were so extreme, that it was teore than a quarter of an
hour before I could obtain a connected sentence. I was
extremely affected at.her situation, and used every expe-
dient to calm her mind, but this was extremely difficult,
because I was entirety ignorant of the reason of her afBic-
tion. As soon as she became a little composed, she begged
me to shut the door, that no one might interrupt us. I
came back, and on my knees intreated her to explain the
jcause of her present situation, which she did to the follow-
ing effect :
" She informed me that her maid had discovered to her,
that a ceitain person named Ivan Kudrin, one of my asso-
ciates, had proposed to her to share his fortune, and that*
this indiscreet person had assured the girl, that he was
about to quit Kamscbatka with me, to make a voyage to
Europe, where he hoped to place her in an agreeable situ-
ation. The maid had first related the circumstance to her
mistress ; but as she could never believe me capable of
such base and treacherous behaviour to her, she was desl«
B E N Y O W S K y. 11
roQS of hearing the account herself, and had, for that pur-
pose,, persuaded the maid to appoint a meeting with Kudrin^
ill order to question hi in more amply, while she herself
might hear the whole, by bemg concealed behind a cur-
tain. In tliis manner, she said, she became convinced of
her unhappiness and my treachery, and that she would have
spared me the confusion of hearing thisj if, from a convic*
tion that she could not live after such an affront^ she had
not been desirous of bidding me a last fafewell.
" On tinishing tliese words she faintfed, and though I was
exceedingly alarmed and distressed on the occasion, yet !•
did not fail to arrange a plan in my mind, during the inter-
val of her insensibility. When this amiable young lady
recovered, she asked if she might give credit to what she
bad heard. I then threw myself at her feet, and entreated
her to hear me calmly, and judge wheiher I was to blame
or not. She promised she would, and I addressed her in
the following terms :
**^You may recollect, my dear friend, the account I
gave you of my birth, and the rank I held in Europe ; I re-
member the tears you shed on that occasion. The misfor<«
tune of being exiled to Kamschatka would long since have
compelled me to deliver myself from tyranny by death, if
jour acquaintance and attachment had not preserved me«
J have lived for you, and if you could read my heart, I am
sure I should have your pity ; for the possession of your
person is becbme as necessary to my existence as liberty it-
self. The liberty I speak of is not that which your worthy-
father has given- me, but implies the possession of my estate
and rank. I have hoped for the possession of your person,
with a view of rendering you happy in the participation of
my fortune and dignity. These views cannot be accom-
plished at Kamschatka. What rank can I bestow on my
love but that of an exile ? The favours of your worthy fa-t
ther may be of the shortest duration. His successor may
soon recal his ordinances, and plunge me again into that
state of suffering and contempt, from which I was delivered
for a short moment. Represent to yourself, my dearest
friend, the affliction and despair that would overwhelm my
soul, when 1 beheld you a sharer in my pain and disgrace ;
for you well know that all the Russians esteem the exiles as
dishonoured persons. You have forced me to this declara-
tion of my intentions, in which I have been guided by the
attachment and sincerity of my heart. I deferred the com-
13 BENYOWSKY.
munication to you, but I swear that such was my resolu-
tion."— " Why then," interrupt^ she, ** did you conceal
your intention from me, who am ready to follow you to the
farthest limits of the universe ?" This assurance encouraged
me to proceed, and engage this charming young lady in my
interests. I told her, therefore, that I was prevented only
by the fear lest she should refuse my proposals on account
of her attachment to her parents ; but that, as I now had
nothing to fear in that respect, I could inform her, that my
intention being to leave Kamschatka, I had determined to
carry her off; and in order to convince her, I was ready to
call Mr. Crustiew, who would confirm the truth. On this
assurance she embraced me, and entreated me to forgive
her want of confidence, at the same time that she declared
her readiness to accompany me.
^^ This degree of confidential intercourse being esta^
blisbed, l' persuaded her to dismiss every fear from her
mind. Many were the trials I made of her resolution, and
tlie event convinced me that she was perfectly determined
to follow my fortunes. The secret being thus secure, by
her promise to keep it inviolably, I had no other uneasiness
remaining but what arose from the communication having
been made to her servant. I mentioned my fears to miss
Nilow, who removed them, by assuring me that her servant
was too much attached to her to betray her secret, and had,
besides, an affection for Kudrin, so that she could answer
for her discretion. Thus agreeably ended our conversa-
tion, though the commencement was rather tragical, and I
received the vows of attachment and fidelity from an artless
and innocent mind."
On the 23d of April 1771, however, " Miss Aphanasia,"
says the county/ ^^ came to me incognito. She informed me
that her mother was in tears^ and her father talked with her
in a manner which gave reason to fear that he suspected
our plot. She conjured me to be careful, and not to come
to the fort if sent for. She expressed her fears that it
would not be in her power to come to me again, but pro-
mised she would in that case send her servant ; and she
entreated me at all events, if I should be compelled to use
force against the government, I would be careful of the life
of her father, and not endanger my own. I tenderly em-
braced this charming young lady, and thanked her for the
interest she took in my preservation ; and as it appeared
important that her absence should not .be discovered, I
B EN Y O W S K Y» 13
begged her to return and recommend the issue of oiir in^
tentions to good fortune. Before her departure I reminded
her to look minutely after her fathefr, and to send me a red
ribband in case government should determine to arrest or
attack me ; and, in the second place, that at the moment
of an alarm, she would open the shutter of her window
which looked to the garden, and cause a sledge to be laid
over the ditch on th&t side. She promised to comply with'
my instructions, and confirmed her promises with vows and
tears."
The apprehensions of this faithful girl for the safety of
the man she loved, were far from being without foundation ;
and on the 26th of Aprif she sent the count two red rib-
bands, to signify the double danger to which she perceived
he was exposed. The count, however, coolly prepared to
brave the impending storm, and gave orders to the leaders
of his associates, amounting in all to fifty-nine persons, to
place themselves at the head of their divisions^ and station
themselves round his house, in readiness to act in the
night, in case an attack should be made by the cossacks
of the town, and soldiers of the garrison, who, it was ru-
moured, were busied in preparing their arms. At five'
o^clock in the evening, a corporal, with four grenadiers,
stopped at the count's door, demanding admittance in the
name of the empress, and ordered him to follow the guard
to the fort. The count, however, proposed, from a window,
to the corporal, that he should enter alone and drink a glass
of wine; but^ on his being admitted, the door was instantly
shut upon him, and four pistols clapped to his breast, by
the terror of which he was made to disclose every thing
that was transacting at the fort, and at length obliged to
call the four grenadiers separately into the house, under
pretence of drinking, when they wdre all five bound toge-
ther, and deposited safely in the cellar.
This measure was^ of course, the signal of resistance,
and- the count marshalling his associates, who had secretly
furnished themselves with arms and animunition by the
treachery of the store*keepers, issued forth from the house
to of^ose, with greater advantage, another detachment who
had been sent to arrest him. After levelling several sol-
diers to the ground, the count, by the mismanagement of
their commander, seized their cannon, turned them with
success against the fort itself, and, entering by means of the
drawbridge, dispatched the twelve remaining guards who
14 BENYOWSKY.
were then within it. " Madame Nilow and her children,'*
says the count, '^ at sight of me impiored my protection
to save their father and husband. I immediately hastened
to bis apartment, and begged him to go to His children^sl
room to preserve his life, but he answered that he would
jfirst take mine, and instantly fired a pistol, which wounded
me. I was desirous nevertheless of preserving him, and
cqntinued to represent that all resistance would be useless;
for which reason I entreated him to retire. His wife and
children threw themselves on their knees, but nothing would
avail ; he flew upon me, seized me by the throat, and left
me no other alternative than either to give up my own life,'
or run my sword through his body. At this period the
petard, by which my.associates attempted to make a breach,
exploded, and burst the outer gate. The second was open,
and. I saw Mr. Panow enter at the head of a party. He en-
treated the governor to let me go, but not being able to
prevail on hipo, he set me at liberty by splitting his skull.".
The count by this event became complete master of the
fort, and by the cannon and ammunition which he found oii
the rampart, was enabled, with the ready and active assist-
ance of his now increased associates, to repel the attack
which was made upon him by the cossacks; but flight,
not resistance, was the ultimate object of this bold com-
mander; and in order to obtain this opportunity, he dis-
patched a drum and a woman as a sign of parley to the
cossacks, who had quitted the town and retired to the
heights, with a resolution to invest the fort and starve the
insurgents, informing them of his resolution to send a de-
tachment of associates into the town to drive all the women
and children into the church, and there to burn them all to
death, unless they laid down their arms. While t^is em-
bassy was sent, preparation was made for carrying the
threat it contained into immediate execution ; but by sub-
mitting to the proposal, the execution of this horrid mea-
sure was rendered unnecessary, and the count not only
received into the fort fifty-two of the principal inhabitants of
the town, as hostages for the fidelity of the rest, but procured
the archbishop to preach a sermon in the church in favour of
the revolution. The count was now complete governor of
Kamschatka; and having time, without danger, to prepare
every thing necessary for the intended departure, he amused
himself with ransacking the archives of the town, where he
found several manuscripts of voyages made to the eastward
BENYOWSKY- 15
of Kamschatka* The count also formed a chart, with de*
tails, respecting Siberia and the sea--coast of Kamschatka,
and a description of the Kurelles and Aleuthes islands.
This chart has not survived the fate of its composer.
The conspirators, previous to their hostilities against the
governor, had prudently secured a corvette of the name of
St Peter and St. Paul, which then rode at anchor in the
port of Bolsha, and their subsequent success afforded them
the means of providing her with such stores as were neces*
sary for the intended voyage. On the 11th of May 1771,
the count, as commander in chief, attended by Mr. Cnistievr
as second, by sixteen of his fellow-captives as quarter*
guards, and by fifty-seven foremast men, 'together with
twelve passengers and nine women, among whom was the
lovely Aphanasia, disguised in sailor's apparel, went on
board this vessel ; and on the next day weighed anchor,
and sailed out of the harbour on a southern course, intend*-
ing to continue their voyage to China. On ^he 20th of
May, they anchored their vessel in a bay on the coast of
Beerlng's island, where they found the celebrated captain
Ochotyn and his followers, who had also escaped from ^xile
in Siberia, and were wandering in search of that settlement '
which, from their restless dispositions, they were doomed
never to find.
. The count, however, was not to be detained by the blan*
dishments of friendship ; he departed from this island, and
arrived, after experiencing many hardships and dangers at
>8ea, at the harbour of Usilpatchar in Japan on the 2d of
August; from whence, not meeting with a very friendly
reception, he again immediately set sail, and arrived on*
Sunday the 28th of August at the island of Formosa. The
inhabitants of Formosa at first appeared inclined to treats
him with respect and civility, particularly don Hieronymo"
Pacheco, formerly captain at the port of Cavith at Manilla,,
who had fled from that employment to the island of For*
mosa, in consequence of his having in a moment of rage
massacred his wife and a Doniinican whom he had found in^
her company : but these professions were soon found to be
deceitful ; for on sending his men on shore to fetch water,
they were attacked by a party of twenty Indians, many of
them dangerously wounded, and Mr. Panow, the count's
most faithful friend, killed. Don Hieronymo, however,;
contrived to exculpate himself from any concern in this*
treachery, and to advise the count to seek revenge by a^
16 B E N Y O W S K Y.
■
conquest of the island ; but he contented himself with pro^
yoking the natives to a second attack, and repulsing thein
with considerable slaughter. His men, however, insisted
on going in quest of the Indians, in order to make them
feel their further vengeance. The remonstrances of the
count were to no effect ; and at length, complying witb
their desires, he requested don Hieronymo to guide them
towards the principal residence of the nation who had given
him so bad a reception, where, after a short and unequal
conflict, he killed eleven hundred and fifty-six, took six
hundred and forty-three prisoners, who had prostrated them*
selves on the ground to beg for mercy from their assailants,
and set fire to their town. The prince of the country, not-
withstanding this massacre of his subjects, was introduced
to the count by his Spanish friend, and a cordiality at
length took place between them to such a degree, that the
count entered into a formal treaty for returning and settling
at Formosa ; but his secret motives for making this engage-
ment appear to have been, the execution of a project be
had silently conceived of establishing a colony on the
island.
On Monday the 12th of September, the count and his
associates sailed from Formosa ; on the Thursday follow*-
ing the coast of China appeared in sight; and two days
afterwards his vessel was piloted into the port of Macao.
At this place he was treated with great respect by the go-
vernor and the principal men of the town ; and on the 3d
of October 1771, captain Gore, then in the service of the
English East-India company, made an offer of services to
him on the part of the directors, and a free passage to
Europe, provided he would bind himself to entrust his
manuscripts to the company, engage to enter into their
service, and make no communication of the discoveries he
had made. But having accepted proposals from the French
directors, the offers of captain Gore were rejected, and the
count soon afterwards returned from Macao to Europe on
board a French ship.
He arrived on the 8th of August 1772, in Champagne,
where the duke d^Aiguillon, the minister of fVauce, then
was ; " and he received me," says the count, " with cor-
diality and distinction, and proposed to me to enter the
service of his master, with the offer of a regiment of in-'
faiHry ; which I accepted, ,bn condition that his majesty
would be pleased to employ^me in forming establishments-
BENTOWSKY. t?
Ibeyond the Cape.^' Ib con^equeaQ^ of this conditipn, tha
duke bis patron proposed to bim from his msyeaty to foroa
an establishment oi^ the island of Madagasc)ir> upon tk%
same footing as he had proposed upon the island of For-*
mosa, the whole scheme of which is publidbed in bis me^
moirs of his own life^ and discovers vast knowledge of the
interests of eommercQ, and a deep insight into the c)ia-*
racters of men.
To a romantic mind and adventurous spirit such as the
count possessed, a proposal like the present was irre**
sistible ; and after receiving the most positive assurancei
from the French ministryi that he should constantly receive
from them the regular supplies necessary to promote the
success of his undertaking, he set sail on the 22d of March^
1779, from Port U Orient for Madagascar, under the treache^^
reus auspices of recommendatory Tetters to Mr. De Temay^
governor of the isle of Fnmce, where he landed with a
company of between four and five hundred men. on the
i22d of September following. Instead, however, of receive
ing the promised assistapce at this place, the governor en«
deavoured by every means in bis power to thwart the sue-?
cess of his enterprise ; and no other step remained for him
to take, than that of hastening for Madagascar. He ac<i*
cordingly set sail ia the Des Torg^, a vessel badly pro-
vided with those stores that were most likely to be of use,
and came to an anchor at Madagascar on the 14th of Fe-
bruary 1774. The opposition which be met from the se^
veral nations placed him in a daugeious situation ; but he
^t length, with great difficulty, formed an establishment
on Foul. P<Hnt, entered into a commercial intercourse, and
^med treaties of friendship and alliance with the greater
part of the inhabitants of this extensive island. But whether .
the count, whose commission only extended to open a
friendly intercourse with the natives, was abandoned by
the minister from the cruelty of neglect, whilst he was iu
the regular execution of the commands of hi^ sovereign,
or because his exorbitant spirit, and ambition bega^ to soar
to more than an ordinary pitch of power and greatness, the
following curious and extraordinary narrative pf his sub«
sequent conduct will manifestly shew.
, The island of Madagascar, as is well known, is of vast
extent, and is inhabited by a great variety of different na«
tions. Among these is the nation of Sambarines, formerly
^vemed by a chief of the name and titles of JlolKindrian
Vol. V. C
18 • B £ N Y O W S K Y.
Ampansacab^ Ramini Larizon ; whose only child^ a love);f
daughter, had, it seems, been taken prisoner, and sold as
a* captive ; and from this cii'cumstance, upon the death of
Ramini, bis family was supposed to be extinct^ *^ On the
2d of February," says the count, " M. Corbi, one of my
most confidential officers, with the interpreter, informed
xne, that the old negress Susanna, whom I had brought
from the isle of France, and who in her early youth bad
been sold to the French, and had lived upwards of fifty
years at the isle of France, had reported, that her com-
panion, the daughter of Ramini, having likewise been made
a prisoner, was sold to foreigners, and that she had cer-
tain marks that I was her son. This officer likewise re-
presented to me, that in consequence of her report the
Sambarine nation had held several cabars to declare me
the heir of Ramini, and consequently proprietor of the
province of Manahar, and successor to the title of Ampau-
sacab^, or supreme chief of the nation. This information
appeared to me of the greatest consequence, and I deter^-
mined to take the advantage of it, to conduct that brave
and generous nation to a civilized state. But as I had no
person to whom I could entrust the secret of my mind, I
lamented how blind the minister of Versailles was to the
true interests of France. On the same day I interrogated
Susanna on the report she had spread concerning my birth.
The good old woman threw herself at my knees, and es:-
cused herself by confessing that she had acted entirely
upon a (Conviction of the truth. For she said that she had
known my mother, whose physiognomy resembled mine,
and that she had herself been inspired in a dream by the
Zahanhar to publish the secret. Her manner of speaking
convinced me that she really believed what she said. I
therefore embraced her, and told her that I -had reasons
for keeping the secret respecting my birth ; but that pe*
vertheless if she had any confidential friends she might ac-
quaint them with it. At these words she arose, kissed my
hands, and declared that the Sambarine nation was in-
formed of the circumstances, and that the Rohandriaa
Raffangour waited only for a favourable moment to ac-
knowledo;e the blood of Ramini.'*
.The fallacy to which the old woman thus gave evidence,
feeble as the texture of it may appear to penetrating minds,
was managed by the count with such profound dexterity
and address, that he was declared the heir of Ramini, in*
BENYOWSKY. 10
^nested with the sovereignty of the nation, received ambas-
sadors and formed alliances in the capacity of a king with
other tribes, made war and peace, led his armies in person
into the field, and received submission from his vanquished
enemies. In this situation it is not wonderful that he
should forget the allegiance he was under to the king of
France } and, representing to his subjects the difficulties
he had experienced from the neglect of the minister, and
the probable advantages that might result by forming a
new and national compact either with that or some other
|)owerful kingdom in Europe, he persuaded them to per^
mit him to return to Europe for that purpose ; and ^' on
the 11th of October, 1776," says the count, " 1 took my
leave to go on board : and at this single moment of my life
I experienced what a heart is capable of suffering, when
torn from a beloved and affectionate society to which it is
devoted.**
This account concludes his narrative; but among the
memoirs and papers which fill the remaining part of the
volume, it appears, that on his arrival in Europe his pro«-
posals to the court of France were rejected ; that he made
subsequent offers of his service to the emperor of Germany,
which met with no better success; and that on the 25th of
December, 1783, he offered, in the character of Sovereign
of the island of Madagascar, terms for an offensive and de*
fensive alliance with the ^ing of Great Britain: but this
proposal was also declined. The ardour of the count, how«
ever, was not abated by these disappointments ; he pre-
tended to look with contempt on kings who could be so
blind to the interests and advantages of their people ; and,
sending for his family from Hungary,' he sailed from Lon-
don with some of his associates for Maryland, on the 1 4th
of April, 1784, with a, cargo of the value of near 4,000/1
sterling, consisting, it seemf, of articles intended for the
Madagascar trade. A respectable commercial house in Bal^
, timore was induced to join in his scheme, and supplied
him with a ship of 450 tons, whose lading was estimated
at.more than 1,000/. in which he sailed from that place o^
the 25th of Oct. 1784, and landed at Antangara on the
island of Madagascar, on the 7th of July 1785, fropoi whence
he departed to Angouci, and commenced hostilities against
the French by seizing their storehouse. Here he busied
himself in erecting a town after the manner of the country,
and froBT heAce he sent a detachment of one hundred men
C 2
so BENYOWSKt.
to take possession of the French factory at Foul Point ; Ibut
they were prevented from carrying their purpose into exe-
cution by the sight of a frigate which was at anchor off the
Point. In consequence of these movements, the governor
of the isle of France sent a ship with sixty regulars on
board, who landed and attax;ked tl^e count on the momitij;
of the 23d of May 1786. He had constructed a small re^^
doubt defended by two cannon, in which himself, with two
^Europeans and thirty natives, waited the approach of the
enemy. The blacks fled at the first fire, and Benyowsky,
having received a ball in his right breast, fell behind the
parapet ; whence he was dragged by the hair, and expired
a few minutes afterwards. .
Such is the abridgment of the history of this singular
adventurer, taken from his Memoirs published in 1790^
2 vols. 4to, * and inserted in the preceding edition of this
Dictionary. We have reduced the narrative in some parts,
but are yet doubtful whether accounts of this kind strictly
belong to our plan, and still more, whether the space al-
lotted to this is not disproportionate. The story, however,
is interesting, and although the evi4ence is chiefly that of
the adventurer himself, the two volumes of his memoirs
Thay hereafter be found useful as far as they describe the
Ihitherto almost unknown island of Madagascar. Of his
chiaracter, it is not easy to form a decided opinion. Even
from his own account, he appears to have been unsteady,
ambitious, and cruel in his expedients, but how far his na-
tural disposition may have been altered by his sufferings,
and the love of life and liberty may have predominated
over that of truth and humanity, from what some are pleased
to call a fatal necessity, we shall not presume to deter-
mine. *
BENZEL DE STERN^U (Anselm Francis de), a
privy counsellor of the electorate of Mentz, was born Aug.
28, 1738, and arrived at the dignity of counsellor when
only nineteen years of age. The emperor invited him to
Vienna, but he refused this honourable offer, and remained
at Mentz, where having attained the rank of chancellor of
state, he applied his attention to the reformation of the
schools, and the regulation and diminution of the convents.
He was one of the chief promoters of the union of the Ger-
man bishops against the court of Rome. The death of the
1 Memoin as aboTt,
P E N Z E L, 21
diector Emmerick Joseph, in 1774, interrupted hUpiir-
^its ; but he wc^ soon recalled, and in 1782, appointed to
the guardiajiship of the universities of the electorate, an4
disUpguished hiiQself by many humane and enlightened
regulations. He died May 7, 1784. We have only from
bis pen, the p)an of a *^ New organization of the Univer^
•ity of Mentz," 1784, 8vo./
BENZELIUS (Eric), archbishop of Upsal, was born in
Sweden in li642, at a village called Benzeby^ whence h^
took his name. His parents were of mean condition, but
an uncle enabled him to pursue his studies at Upsal, where
he was appointed .tptor to the children of the count de 1^
Cardie^ grand chancellor of the kingdom. He afterward^
travelled in Germany, jB'rance, and England, and on hi9
return to his country, was appointed professor of history
md jpor^ls. .Having ako made great progress in theolo-
gical studies, be was c|*eated doctor of that faculty and
appointed professor. In 1677 he was promoted to the
bishopric qf Strengnes, wi\d in 1700, to the archbishopric
of Upsal, which he held until bis death, Feb. 17, 1709. He
was twice married, and by his first wife had thirteen chil*
dren, of whom three of the sons became archbishops of
Upsal. Benzelhis instructed Charles XII. in theological
studies, and that prince preserved always a high esteem for
him. The archbishop wrote an *^ Abridgment of Eccler
siastical History," several dissertations on subjects of theo-
logy and ecclesiastical history, and a Latin translation, wit^
notes, of msMiiy of the homilies of St. Chrysostom, which he
made from manuscripts in the Bodleian library. He had
also the.superintendanc^ of the edition of the Bible, in the
Swedish language, which Charles XII. ordered to be pub-
lished in 1703, with engravings, and which still bears the
name of that monarch. Very few alterations, however^
were introduced in this edition, as the divines of the time
.could not agree on certain disputed passages, and an entire
iiew translation was reserved for the reign of Gustavus HI.'
BENZELIUS (Eric), archbishop of Upsal, and one of
thejsons of the preceding, was born at- Upsal in 1675.
When he had finished his studies, his father sent him on
his travels to the principal countries of Europe, and on his
return, he was made librarian to the university of Upsal.
He was afterwards for many years, and with great reputa-
) Bio|r. UniTeraeUe, * Biqg. UaiYersellc^MorerL
M BE N Z E L I U S.
r
t)on, professor of divinity, and became successively bishop
of Gottenbnrgh and Linkaeping, and arqhbishop of Upsal^
ivhere he died in 17 4 3* He was not t>nly an able theoi>
logian, but versed in languages, history, and antiquities,
and in all his writings displays erudition and critical acumen.
He published, 1. ^< Monumenta historica v)etera Ecolesias
Sueco-GothicBB," Upsal, 1704, 4to. 3, " Johannis Vas^
tovii Vitis Aquilonia, sive Vitse Sanctorum regni Sueco-
Gothici," ibid. 1708, 4to. 3. ** Dissertatio de Alexandria
iEgypti,'* ibid. 1711, 8vo. 4. '^Laudatio funebris Michael.
Enemanni,'* Upsal, 1715, 4to. 5. *< Dissertatio de re lit-
teraria Judseprum," ibid. 1716, 4to. 6. ** Acta Litteraria
iSueciae, ah 1720 usque ad 1733," ibid. 3 vols. 4to. 7- "Pe-
riculum Runicum, sive de origine et antiquitate Runarum,^*
ibid. 1724, 8vo. 3. '^Oratio funebris in memoriam Lau-
rentii Molini, theologi Upsaliensis,*^ ibid. 4to. These
learned and ingenious works procured him very great re-
putation, and the correspondence of the most eminent men
of learning in every part of Europe. In 1720, when li-
Ibrarian to the university, he associated with some of the
professors in founding the academy of sciences of Upsal,
which was soon* after established by government, and is the
oldest institution of that kind in the north ; and when the
^academy of Stockholm was founded in* 1739, Benzelius was
iadmitted one of its first members. ^
BENZELIUS (H£NRY), archbishop of Upsal, and bro*
ther to the preceding, was born at Strengnes in 1689, and
studied at Upsal. During his subsequent travels he hap*
pened to arrive at Bender, where Charles XII. was. This
prince, who had more taste for the pursuit of scientific
knowledge than is generally supposed, wa$ desirous at this
time to send some men of learning to the East, and Ben-
zelius was one whom he applied to, find who accordingly
]>egan his travels in 1714, visiting Syria^ Palestine, and
JEgypt, and returning to Sweden through Italy, Germany,
and Holland. The journal of this tour is preserved in ma-
nuscript at Upsal ; but a considerable part of Benzelius's
observations were printed in a Latin collection, under the
title of ^^ Syntagma dissertationum in Academia Lundensi
iiabitarum,'' Leipsic. 1745, 4U). Benzelius, after his return
to Sweden, was maae professor of theology, bishop of Lun-
^en^ and ^i^i^bishop of Upsal, where he died in 1758. Ha
? Bioff. UiuTene11e.^Saxii OnonMiiooq.
B E N Z E L I: U S. 23
was succteded in the archbishopric by his brother Jacob,
who wrote in Latin, an abridgment of theology, and a
description of Palestine, and some other works. — H. Jas-
per Benz£LIUS, of the same learned family, who. died
about the end of the last century, bishop of Strengnes,
had studied under Mosheim, and publbbed in 174^1' at
Helmstadt, a Latin life or dissertation on John Dury, who
in the seventeenth century, travelled over a. considerable
part of Europe, in hopes of reconciling the Lutherans and
Calvinists. *
BENZONI (Jerom), a Milanese, was born about 1519.
His father, who was not rich, having suffered by the war,
sent him on his travels, to seek his fortune in Italy, France^
Spain, and Germany. He did not find what he sought,
but became so captivated with the accounts recentlv r6*
ceived from the new world,, that he determined to go tnere.
Accordingly in 1541, he went to Spain, and embarked foe
America, where he remained fourteen years. In li56, he
returned to his country, rich only in the observations he
iiad made, and which he communicated to the public, in a
" History of the New World," in Italian, Venice, J 565,
4to, reprinted 1572, 8vo, and afterwards translated into
Latin, French, German, and Flemish. *
BEOLCO (Angelo), surnamed Ruzzante, was bom at
Padua, about 1502, and died in li42. He applied him-*
self early in life to study the manners, gesture> and lan-
guage of villagers, and copied every particular that sa-
voured of simplicity, drollery, and the grotesque. He was
the Vade of the Italians. His rustic farces, though written
in a low and vulgar style, are yet pleasing to people of edu*
cation, by the correctness with which the counttymen are
represented, and by the witticisms with which they are sea-
soned. He preferred being the first in this species of com-
position, to being the second in a more elevated line. His
principal pieces are, la Vaccaria, TAnconitana, la Mos-
chetta, la Fiorina, la Piovana, &c. These were printed
with other poems of the same kind in 1584 in 12mo, under
this title, ^^Tutte le opere del famosissimo Ruzzante," and
have often been republished. '
BERARDIER de Bataut (Francis Joseph), a doctor
of the Sorbonne, formerly professor of eloquence, and
> Biog^. UinTersell«. * Ibid.
I Ibi(C-«Moreri«-*Freheri Th^tram.'— Baillet tfugemens det SaraDi^
i^hrvMA^ grand mafeit^r of tti6 college of Louis-le-Gtand,
Was born at Paris in 1720. He was deputy from the clergj
of Paris, in the constituent assembly, and died at Paris in
1 794. He had acquired great reputation in the university,
and Was not l^ss tiespected in' the above assembly, where he
signed thie famous protest of Sept. 12, 1791. Camille-
De^moulins, who had been his pupil, celebrated him in his
verses ehtitled ** Mes adieux au college ;" and from a sin-
gular caprice, this revolutionist chose to receive the nup-
tial benediction from Berardier, although one of the non-
jiiring priests, and of totally opposite principles. St. Just
and Robespierre were the wittiesses on this occasion ; and
such was the regard Camillie-Desinoulins had for him, that
he protected him from the massacres of the 2d of Septem-
ber 1792. Berardier wrote, 1. " Precis de I'Histoire uni-
Vcrselle^" a very excellent introduction to the study of his-
tory, which has gone through sevelral editions. 2. '< Essai
sur le recit,'* 1776, 12mo, also very successful, but not
writtenwith so much perspicuity. 3. " Anti-Lucrece en
vers Fran^ais,'* 1786, 2 vols. 12mo. 4. *^ Principes de la
foi sur le g'ouvernment de PEglise, en opposition i, la con-
stitution civile du clerge, ou refutation de I'opinion de M.
Camus,'* 8vo. Of this fourteen editions were printed with-
in six months, and it has likewise been published under the
title of " Vrais Principes de la Constitution du Clerg^.*' *
BERAUD (Laurence), a French mathematician and as-*'
tronomer, was born at Lyons, March 5, 1703, entered
among the Jesuits, and became professor of humanity at
Vienne and at Avignon, and of mathematics and philo-
sophy at Aix. In 1740 he was invited to Lyons and ap-
pointed professor of mathematics, director of the observa-
tory, and keeper of the medals ; and the same year be be-
came astronoiher to the academy, the memoirs of which are
enriched by a great many of his observations, particularly
that on the passage of Mercury on the Sun, May €, 1753,
during which he saw and demonstrated the luminbus ring
round that planet, which had escaped the notice of all the
astronomers for ten years before. In air his results, he
entirely agreed with Lalande, who had made the same ob-
servations at Paris, and with the celebrated Cassini. All
his observations, indeed, are creditable to his talents, and
accord with those of the most eminent astronomers^
I Bios* tJBjvcraelle.
B £ R A tJ D. 25
Among his other papers, inserted in the memoirs of the
academy, we find several on vegetation, on the evapora-^
tion of liquids, and the ascent of vapours, on light, a phy->
sical theory on the rotation of the earth and the inclination
of its axis, &c. In meteorology, he published observa-
tions on the tubes of thermometers, with an improvement
in the construction of them, which was the subject of three
memoirs read in the academy of Lyons in 1747. He has
also endeavoured to account for metals reduced to calcina-
tion weighing heavier than in their former state, and main-
tains, against Boyle, that fire is incapable of giving this
additional weight, and likewise refutes the opinion of those
who attribute it to air, or to substances in the air which the
action of fire unites to the metal in fusion. This memoir
was honoured with the prize by the academy of Bourdeaux
in 1747, and contained many opinions which it would have
been difficult to contradict before the experiments of
Priestley, Lavoisier, and Morveau. In 1748, he received
the same honour, from that academy, for a paper in which
he maintained the connexion between magnetisnn and elec-
tricity, assigning the same cause to both. In 1760, he re-
ceived a third prize from the same academy, for a disser-
tation oh the influences of the moon on vegetation and ani-
mal oeconomy. Beraud was also a corresponding member
of the academy of sciences in Paris, and several of his
papers are contained in their memoirs, and in those of the
academy of Lyons* He Wrote several learned dissertations
on subjects of antiquity. On the dissolution of the society
of Jesuits, he left his country for some time, as h^ could
not conscientiously take the oaths prescribed, and on his
return, notwithstanding many pressing offers to be restored
to the academy, he preferred a private life, never having
recoyered the shock which the abolition of his order had
occasioned. In. this retirement he died June 26, 1777.
His learning and virtues were universally admired ; he was
of a communicative disposition, and equal and candid tem-
per, both in his writings and private life. Montucla, La-
lande, and Bossu, were his pupils ; and father Lefevre of
the Oratory, his successor in the observatory of Lyons,
pronounced his eloge in that academy, which was printed
at Lyons, 1780, 12mo. The Diet. Hist, ascribed to Be-
raud, a small volume, *^ La Physique des corps animus/*
1755, 12mo.>
1 Biof . UniTerscUe. — Did. Hist.
26 B E R A U L D.
BERAULD, or BERAULT (Nicholas), was bom at Or*
leans in 1475, and died in 1550. According to tlie cus*
torn of that age, he Latinized his name into Beralbus
AuRELius, and it is under that name that his friend Nico^
las Bourbon celebrates him in oi>e of his Latin poems.
Berauld, according to Moreri, was preceptor to. cardinal
Coligni, his brother the admiral, and to Chatillon. Eras-
mus, in many parts of his works, acknowledges the kind
hospitality of Berauld, when, in 1500, he was travelling
by the way of Orleafis into Italy, and highly praises the
elegance of his style. In 1522, IJ^asmus dedicated to him
his. work ^^ De conscribendis epistolis/' Berauld pub-
lished various works in Latin, of which the principal are^
1. ^^ Oratio de pace restituta et de foedere sancito apud
Cameracum,'' Paris, 1528, 8vo^ 2. ^^ Metaphrasis in oecor
nomicon Aristotelis,*' Paris, 4to, without date. In 1 5 1 6^
be edited the works of William bishop of Paris, in folio^
and the same year an edition of Pliny's natural history,
with numerous corrections, yet Hardouin has not men-
tioned Berauld among the editors of Pliny. He also sup-
plied notes to the Rusticus of Politian, and published a
.** Greek and Latin Dictionary," that of Crafton, with ad-
ditions, a preface, and notes. 3* ^^ Syderali$ Abyssus,'*
Paris, 1514. .4. ^' Dialogus quo rationes expUcantur qui-
bus.dicendiex tempore fjsicultas parari potest, &c.'' Lyons,
1534. 5. ** De jurisprudentia vetere ac noviti^ oratio,'*'
Lyons, 1533. 6. '^ Enarratio in psalmos LXXI. et
CXXX." Paris, 1529, 4to. Berauld was greatly respect-*
ed by Stephen Poucher, bishop of Paris, and aftei^wardai'
archbishop of Sens, a celebrated .patron of learning and
learned men. — Berauld's son, Francis, born at Orleans,
embraced the principles of Calvin ; he was esteemed a very
learned man and a good Greek and Latin poet. He was
particularly eminent for his knowledge of Greek, wbic^ he.
taught at Montbeliiard, Lausanne, Geneva, Montargis, of
which last college he was principal in 1571, and at Ro-
chelle. Henry Stephens employed him to translate part
of Appian, and preferred his translation to tliat of Cceiiuai
Secundus Curio. ^
BERAULT-BERCASTEL (Anthony Henry), born
about the commencement of the last century, in the coun^
try Qf Messin in France, wa« first a Jesuit, thea cupte q{
1 jG«i|« pict,-*Moreri,— Bio^. ymTeneUei
B E R A U L T. ft?
jOrmeville in the diocese of Rouen^ and lastly canon of
Noyou. He died during the revolution. He commenced
his literary career in 1754, with a small poem on the Ca*
nary-bird, " Le Serin des Canaries/' which was followed
by the translation of Quivedo, and a collection of Idyls.
He published afterwards in 2 vols. 12mo, a poem on the
Promised Land, which had little success, and was justly
censured for containing an absurd mixture of sacred and
profane history. He then attempted a work more suitable
to his profession, had he executed it well, an *^ Ecclesias*
tf6al History," 24 vols. 12mo, 1778 and following years.
This had some success, and a second edition was very re-
;cently (1811) published at Toulouse, but it is so far infe*
irior to Fieuri, that it is somewhat surprising the French
public should have endured it. He left an abridgment of
it in manuscript, in 5 vols. 8vo« He was also employed
on the " Journal Etranger.*' *
BERAULT (Michael), pastor and professor of theology
at Montauban, about the beginning of the seventeenth cen-
tury, was chosen to enter into conference with cardinal
du Perron at Mantes, in L593; and in 1598, wrote against
him *^ Brieve et claire defense de la vocation des ministres
de TEvangile,'* 8vo. The lively interest he took in the
affairs of the duke of Rohan, during the civil wars of France,
induced him to publish several writings, particularly one,
in which he maintained that the clergy were bound to take
np arms and shed blood, for which be, was censured by the
synod. Another BERAULT (Claude) succeede'd D'Her-
belot, as professor of the Syriac in the royal college of
Paris, but is best known by his edition of " Statins," 1685,
2 vols. 4to, which, owing to most of the copies having
been burnt by a fire in the printing-offibe, is the' roost
scarce and dear of all the Delphin quartos. This author
died in 1705.-*-BERAULT (JosiAs), an advocate of the
parliament of Rouen under Henry III. was born in 1563,
and died about 1640. He published a ** Commentaire sur
la Coutume de Normandie,'^ 1650. and 1660, fol. The
booksellers of Rouen, in 1626, republished this with the
commentaries of Godefroi and Aviron, 2 vols. foL which
were again reprinted in 1684 and 1776.'
BERCHEM (Nicolas), an eminent artist, was born at
'Haerlem, in 1624, and was taught the first principles of
, * Biog. UntT^rselle. ' « Biog. Vnivf rse Uc— Moreri.
2%. B E R C H E M.
painting by his father, Peter Van Haerlem, an artist of
very mean abilities^ whose subjects were fiab, confec-
tionary, vases of silver, and other objects of still life; but
he afterwards had the good fortune to have some of the
best masters of that time for his instructors, and succes-«>
sively was the disciple of Grebber, Vangoyen, Mojaart,
Jan Wil9, and Weeninx. He had an easy expeditious
manner of painting, and an inexpressible variety and beauty
in the choice of sites for his landscapes, executing them
with a surprising degree of neatness and truth. He pos«
sessed a clearness and strength of judgment, and a won*
derful power and ease in expressing his ideas; and al-
though his subjects were of the lower kind, yet his choice
of nature was judicious, and he gave to every subject as
much of beauty and elegance as it would admit. The
leafing of his trees is exquisitely and freely touched ; his
skies are clear ; and his clouds float lightly, as if supported
by air. The distinguishing characters of the pictures of
Berchem^ are the breadth and just distribution of the lights ;
the grandeur of his masses of light and shadow; the na*
tural ease and simplicity in the attitudes of his figures, ex«
pressing their several characters ; the just degradation of
his distances ; the brilliancy and harmony, as well as the
transparency, of his colouring; the correctness and true
perspective of his design ; and the elegance of his compo-
sition: and, where any of those marks are wanting, no
authority ought to be sufficient to ascribe any picture to
him. He painted every part of his subjects so extremely
well, as to render it difficult to <)etermine in which he ex-
celled most; his trees, buildings, waters, rocks, hills, cat-
tle, and figures, being all equally admirable.
One of the most capital pictures of this master was
painted for the principal magistrate of Dort, in whose &l*
mily it is still preserved ; being a prospect of a moun-
tainous country, enriched with a great variety of sheep^
oxen, goats, and figures, excellently penciled, and most
beautifully coloured. While iie was employed in painting
that picture, the same burgomaster bespoke also a land-
scape from John Both, and agreed to pay eight hundred
guilders for each picture ; but to excite an emulation, he
promised a considerable premium for the performance
whigh should be adjudged the best. When the pictures
were finished, and placed near each other for a critical
examination; there appeared such an equality of merit in
B E R C HEM. 29
^ichf that he generously presented both artists with an
equal sum above the price which he had stipulated. Ber«
chem Mras singularly curious, in purchasing the finest prints
and designs of the Italian masters, as a means of improving
his own taste ; and after his death, that collection of draw-
ings and prints sold for a very large sum. There was such
a demand for h» works, that he was generally paid before-
hand ; and although he was so indefatigable, that very
often he would not move from his easel, in the summer
months, from four in the morning till day>-light failed, (by
which close application, he finished a great number of
pictures,) yet, at this day, they are rarely to be purchased,
and always are sold at an exttaoidinary high price.
It is recorded of him, that his wife, the daughter oF Jan
Wils, one of his masters, througli her avarice, allowed
him no rest, and industrious as he was, she usually placed
herself under his painting-room, and when she heard him
neither sing nor stir, she struck upon the ceiling to rouse
him. She inf»sted upon , having all the money he earned
. by his labour, so that he was obliged to borrow from his
scholars when he wanted money to buy prints, of which,
as already noticed, he contrived to form an excellent col-
lection. He passed ^art of his life in the castle of Ben«-
-theim, tine situation of which famiriied him with the views
and animals which compose his pictures, but he died at
Harlaem, in 16SX There are many priuts engraven by,
and after him ; the former amounting to forty-eight, and
^e latter to one hundred and thirty three. ^
BERCHET (Peter), a French artist, who practised in
'England, was bom in franco, in 1659, and at the age of
fifteen was placed under the care of La Fosse, with whom
his improvement was so considerable, that in three years
he was qualified to be employed in one of the royal palaces.
In 1681 he went to England, where he wotdied under Ram-
hour, a French painter of architecture ; and afterwards he
was engaged in different works for several of the English
nobility. The ceiUng in the chapel of Trinity college, in
Oxford, was painted by this master ; he also painted the
staircase at the duke of Schomberg's in London, and the
summer-house at Ranelagh. His drawings in the academy
were nuich approved ; but towards the latter part of his
1 Pilkington and Strait,— Ijtm of Painters omitted by De Piles, Svo. p. 94.**
AifcnrUle.
30
B E R C H E T.
life, he only painted small pieces in the historical atyle^ for
which the subjects were taken from fabulous history ; and
his last performance was a Bacq^analian, to which he af*
fixed his name the very day before he died, in 1720. '
BERCHORIUS (Peter), whose name we find disguised
under Bbrcheure, Berchoire, Bercorius, Bekcheuius;
&c. was bora in the beginning of the foiirteenth century^
at St» Pierre* du-Chemin^ near Af aillesais, in Poitou* He
entered the , order of the Benedictines, and becaiae cele«
brated for his learning, and attached himself to cardimtl
Duprat, archbishop of Aix, whose advice was very useful
to bim in his writings. Among bis other accomplishments^
be is said to have been so well acquainted with his Bible^
• as to be able to quote texts and authorities on all subjects
without any assistance but from memory. He died at Paris
in 1362, prior of the monastery of St. Eloy, since occu-
pied by the Barnabites, which has induced some biogra-
phers to think him a member of that order, but the Barr
nabites were not an order until a century after this period.
Berchorius wrote several works which are lost : those which
remain are in 3 vols. fol. under the title of ^^ Reductorium>
Hepertorium, et Dictionarium morale. utriusqueTestamen-
ti, Strasburgh, 1474 ; Nuremberg, 1499 ; and Cologne,
1631 — 1692. " Whoever,*' says Warton, in his "His-
tory of Poetry,*' shall have the patience to turn over a few
pages of this immense treasure of muUifarious erudition^
will be convinced beyond a doubt, from a general coinci^
dence of the plan, manner, method, and execution, that
the author of these volumes, and of the ^^ Gesta Romano-
rum," must be one and the same. The ^^ Reductorium*^
contains all tlie stories and incidents in the Bible, reduced
into allegories. The '^ Repertofium" is a dictiojiary. of
things, persons, and places ; all which are supposed to be
mystical, and which are therefore explained in their mojal
or practical sense. The " Dictionarium Morale" is in two
-parts, and seems principally designed to be a moral re-
pertory.for students in theology." Mr. Warton successfully
pursues this argument in his ^< Dissertation on the Gesta
Romanorum," to which we refer the reader. He mentions
also that Berchorius was either of a comntent on a pr6sody
called ^ Doctrinale metricum," which was.used asascbool*
book in France^ till Despauter's manual on that subject
' tord Orford's Works, vol. HI.— Pilkingtoo.— Stnitt.
BEtlCHORlUS. 31
«
appeared. Some biographers mention his *^ Tropologia,*'
his " Cosmograpbia," and his " Breviarium ;" but the
" Tropologia** is nothing more than his " Reductorium"
on the Bible, and probably the ^' Breviarium'' is the same.
The *' Cosmograpbia" seemis to be the fourteenth book of
his *' Repertorium Morale." He is said by his biographers
to have written other smaller pieces, which they have not
named nor described. Among these, Mr. Warton thinks
his ^* Gesta'* is comprehended : which we may conceive to
have been thus undistinguished, either as having been
neglected or proscribed by graver writers, or rather as
having been probably disclaimed by its author, who saw it
at length in the light of a juvenile performance, abounding
in fantastic and unedifying narrations, which he judged
unsuitable to his character, studies, and station. Besides
the works above-mentiohed, Berchorius translated Livy,
by order of king John, of which there was a beautiful MS.
in the library of the oratory of Troyes, and other copies,
not less beautiful, are in the imperial library at Paris.
This translation was published in 1514 — 1515, at Paris,
3 vols. fol. *
BERCKRINGER (Daniel), who was born, according
to Vossius, in the Palatinate, studied at Groningen. He
became tutor to the children of the king of Bohemia, and
was by the queen's interest appointed professor of philoso-
phy at Utrecht, 1640, and eight years afterwards professor
of eloquence. He succeeded also in poetry, but his style
has been objected to as containing many new*coined words
and affected phrases. He died July 24, 1667, leaving se*
veral works, of which the principal were, 1 . " Exerctta-
tiones ethicae, ceconomicee, politics," Utrecht, 1664. 2.
** Dissertatio de Cometis, utrum sint signa, an causae, an
Qtrumque, an neutrum," Utrecht, lt)65, i2mo. He wrote
also against Hobbes, ** Examen elementorum philosopfaico-
rum de bono cive," which remains in manuscript.'
BEREGANI (Nicholas, Count), an Italian author of
the seventeenth century, was born at Vincenza, Feb. 2^,
fte7. When only nineteen years old, he was honoured
by the king of France, Louis IH. with the ribbon of St.
Michael and the title of chevalier. In 1649, his family
wei^ promoted to the rank of nobility at Venipe. In that
* *
1 Bio;. UnJverselle. — Warton't Hist toI. III.— Dujj^io, — Morerj.
' Moreri.-«Biog. Uoiv«neU«. -
32
B E R E O A N t
republic be distinguished himself at the bar, Qspecially
when he returned to Venice, which he bad been obliged
to leave for a time in consequence of some indiscretion.
At his leisure hours he cultivated polite literature, an.d par-
ticularly poetry and history. His poems are not without
ease and elegance, although in other respects they partake
largely of the vicious and affected style pf his age. Ho
died at Venice, Dec. 17, 1713, and preserved to the last
his love of study. Besides five dramatic pieces, all set to
music, he wrote 1. ^^ Istoria delle guerre d^Europa delle
comparsadellearmiOttomaneneir Ungheria I'anno 16S3,*'
Venice, 2 vols. 4to. These two parts were to have been
followed by four others, two of which were put to piress ia
1700, but it does not appear that they were ever published,
2. *^ Composizioni poetiche consistent! in rimesacre,eroir'hey
morali ed amorose," Venice, 1702, 12mo. 3. " Opere de
Claudio Claudiano tradotte ed arrichite di erudite annota-
zioni," Venice, 1716, 2 vols. 8vo. This translation is ia
high esteem, and the notes, although not so erudite as the
title expresses, are yet useful ^
BE;RENGARIUS, or BERENGER (James), a physi-
cian and anatomist of tiie sincteenth century, was a native
of Carpi in Modena, whence some biographers have called
him by the name of Carpius, or Carpensis. He took hi$
doctor^s degree at Bologna, and first ta^ght anatomy, ^nd
surgery at Pa via. He afterwards returned to Bologna in
1520, and taught the same studies. He was there, how-
ever, accused of having intended to dissect two Spaniards
who had the venereal disorder, and had applied to him for *
advice, which, it was said, he meant to perform whil^
they were alive, partly out of his hatred to that nation^
and partly for his own instruction. Whatever may be in
this report, it is certain that he was obliged to leave Bo«
logna, and retire to Ferrar^^ where he died in 1550. By
his indefatigable attention to the appearances of disease^
and especially by his frequent dissections, which in his
time, were quite sufficient, without any other demerit, to
raise popular prejudices against him, he was enabled to
advance the knowledge of anatomy by many important dis-»
coveries. His works were, 1. ^^ Commentaria, cum am«
plissimis additionibus, super anatomia Myhdini," Bolbgoat
1521, 1552, 4to, and translated into English by Jackson,
1 Biog. UaiverseUe.
B E R E N G A R I U S. 3f
London, 1664. 2. ^^ IsagogH) breves in anatomiam eorporis
humani, cum aliquot figuris anatoraicis,'' Bologna, 1522,
4 to, and often reprinted. 3. " De Cranii fractura, tracta-
tus," Bologna, 15 IS, 4to, also often reprinted. He was
one of the first who employed mercury in the cure of the
venereal disease. '
BERENC ARIUS, «»r BERENGER, the celebrated arch-
deacon of Angers, was born at Tours in the beginning of
the eleventh century, of an opulent family, and "becajne
the disciple of the famous Fulbert of Chartres, under whomt
he made rapid progress in grammar, rhetoric, dialectic, and
what were then called the liberal arts. On his return to his
country in 1030, he was appointed scholastic, or master
of the school of St. Martin. His reputation soon reaching
foreign parts, the number of his scholars greatly increased,
and many of them were afterwards advanced to high rank
in the church ; nor did he quit his school when made arch-
deacon of Angers in 1039. The opinions, which have
given him a name in ecclesiastical history,, were said to
have been first occasioned by a pique. In a dispute with
Lran franc, archbishop of Canterbury, on a very trivial ques-
tion, he happened to be defeated, and what was worse,
his scholars began to go over to that rival. Berengarius,
on this, took Erigena for his model, and attacked the mys-
tery of the eucharist, as the popish writers term it, but in
plain language, the doctrine of transubstantiation. Bruno,
bishop of Angers, Hugh, of Langres, and Adelman, of
Brescia, in vain endeavoured to cure him of his heresy,
and his writings, which were taken to Rome, were con-
demned in two councils held by pope Leo IX. in 1050, and
himself excommunicated. He then went to the abbey of
Preaux in Normandy, hoping to be protected by duke
William, surnamed the Bastard, but that young prince
summonsed a meeting of the ablest bishops and divines,
who again condemned Berengarius, and the council of
Paris, in Oct. 1050, deprived him of all his benefices.
This loss he is said to have felt more severely than their
spiritual inflictions, and it disposed him to retract his sen-
timents in the council of Tours, in 1055, in consequence
of which he was received into church-communion. In 1059
he wa§ cited to the council at Rome, by pope Nicholas XL
and having been confuted by Abbo and Lanfranc, he ab**
' BiQ£* Univecftelle.— Hall€r BibU AmL
t* B E R EN O A R I US.
jored hi!{ efror^^ biitnl his b.ooks, yet had no fstKftitt
reached France, than he protested llg&inBt h\i recantatidni
as extorted by feai"^ and returned to his i^udie^ with the
same spirit of inqtaity. At length, however, Giregory Vll
having called a new council atRomeiii 1078^ Berengev
more seriously abjured his opinions, rettirned to France^
and passed th6 f^maiiiing years of his life in privacy lind
jpenance. He died Jan. ^, lO^S^ aged nittety» Th^fd
bare been ianany disputes betwixt protestant. and popish
authors, ^ to th^ reality or sincerity of his final retianta^
lion. His sentiments, however, did not perish on his re-
cantation^ or his d^ath) tod he inay be considered as havv»^
ing contributed to that great reformation in the church
which afterwards Was carried into luting effect by his suc-
cessors^ The greater part of his works are lost, but some
are preservt^d amoi^g the works of Lanfranc, in the ^lec«
tions of d'Acheri and Martentie; lind> in 1770) Lessingdis*^
covered! atid published his answeif to LanfbilEl6> *^ Dt cor^
j^One et sanguine Je^ju Christie'* *
BERENGER DE LA TOUft> A French poet of thd
sixteenth century, was boTn at Albena^ or A«A>eR^B in thd
Vivarais. FttMn the preface to c^ie of hfe Works it appear^
that he st\^led law^ aild that his family had intended him
for some post in the magistracy^ but that he had $Dund
lieisnre to cultiva(^ his poetical talents^ in which he was not
unsuccessful. His verees are easy and natural. The great-^
4fcr part were addressed to the poets of his time, many of
whose names ^r^ wot much knoWn now^ at to persons of
distinctio)f). We learn from on-e of his pieces that he lived
*nder Francis I. ft^om another^ undter Henry H. and it is
Supposed that he died about 1559* His J>ublish€d works^
are, l. " Le Sifecle d^or,'' and other ff^^etn^ Lyons^ 1551,
«vo* 2. " Ghoreide,'^' or, " Louange dA ©al auX Dames,''
ibid. 1556, 8vo. 3. ^^ L'Amie des Amies>'* »n imitation of
AriostOj in four books^ ibid. 1558, 8vo. 4. " L'Amie rns*
tique/' and other poems, ibid. 15^8^ iva iRiis last> a
Work of great rarity, is |5rinted with a species of contract
tiofis and abbreviations which render the perusal of it very
difficult.*
BERENGER (JottN Peter), a French miscelkneous
writer, was born at Geneva in 1^40, and in early life quit*
ted the meehamcal employment to which he had been des<^
1 Duptn. — Mosherm,*— Biog. UiRivenreile.-i*M<Jrferi.»«-8Axii Ooomasticoii.
• Bioj. Universelle.
B E R E N G E H. iS
fined by his parents, for tbose studies to which he was in^i
Tited by thte political troubles of his country. As by birth
he was classed among those who are at Geneva called fza-
tiv^Sf but who do not acquire the rank of citizens, because!
born of foreign parents, his first effort was to establish, in
some of his writings, the necessity of equal political rights.
This dispute being referred to arms, Berenger, after his
party was defeated, was banished, along with many others,
by a decree of the sovereign power, February 10, 1770.
On this be retired to Lausanne, and employed his timef
in various literary undertakings, until his rieturn to Geneva^
where he died in Juue, 1807. He published, L An edi-
fion of the works of Abauzit. 2. ^' Histoire de Geneve^
depuis son origine jusqu'a nos jours," 1772 — 75, 6 volsw
l2mo. in this, the more distant ages are given in a sum-
mary manner, having been suflSciently detailed by Spon,
but n»uch tight is thrown upon the political history or the
last century, which he brings down to 176^1, and to which
m f . IfYvernois* work, *^ Tableau historique de revolutions
de Geneve,** may be considered as a sequel. 3^. '^ Geo-
graphie de Busching abregee, &c.'** Busching's work is
here abridged in some parts and enlarged in others; Lau-^
sanne, 1776—79, I^vols. 8vo. 4. *^* Collection de tous
les voyages faits autour de monde,'* 1788-^—90, 9 vols, 8vo^
repTinted in 1795. 5. " Amants Republicains, ou Lettres
de Nicias et Cynire,*' 1782, 2 vols. 8vo, a political romance
relating, to the troubles of Geneva. 6. ^^ Cours de geogra-
phic historique, ancienne et moderne de feu Ostervald/*
1803 and 1805, 2 vols. 12mo. 7. An edition of the " Dic-
tionnaire geographique'^ of Vosgien (Ladvocat), 1805, Svo.
S. Translations from the English of *^ Laura and Auguis-
tu^i** and of " Cook's Voyages.'* 9. " J. J. Rousseau jxisti-
tf€ envers sa patrie ;** and some lesser pieces mentioned ia
Ersch's •'' France Litteraire.** M Bourrit attributes to hinv
a translation of Howard's history of Prisons, but this,, k is
thought, was executed by mademoiselle Keralio. *
BEKENGER (Richaad), esq. many years gieiitlemain of
tfie horse to his majesty, a man of considerable literary ta-
tents, and for his personal .accompliskments called, by Dr.
Jfohnson, " the standard of true elegance," published^ ii^
1771, '^The History and Art of Horsemanship,'* 2 vols.
U% iUu&tjrated witk plates^ The bi»toFy^ wbicb' oooupiies
} Biog. Universellv.
© 2 -
46 BERENGE li-
the first volume, displays much research and acquaintance,
with the classics and with other writers of remote antiquity.
Previously to this, Mr. Berenger contributed three excel-
lent papers. No. 79,, 156, and 202, to the " World," and
in Dodsley's collection are a few of bis poems, written with
ease and elegance. He died in his sixty- second year,
Sept. 9, 1782.*
BERENICIUS, a man utterly unknown, who appeared
inlHolland in 1670, was thought to be a Jesuit, or a rene-
gade from some other religious fraternity. He got his bread
by sweeping chimnies and grinding knives,' and died at
length in a bog, suffocated in a fit of druhkennes^. His
talents, if the historians that mention him are to be credit^
ed, were extraordinary. He versified with so much ease,
that he could recite extempore, and in tolerably good
poetry, whatever was said to him in prose. He has been
known to translate the Flemish gazettes from that language
into Greek or Latin verse with the utmost facility. The
dead languages, the living languages, Greek, Latin, French,
and Italian, were as familiar to him as his mother tongue*
He could repeat by heart Hors^ie, Virgil, Homer, Aristo-
phanes, and several pieces of Cicero and of the Plinies ;
and, after reciting long passages from them, point out the
book and the chapter from whence they were taken. It is
supposed that the ^^ Georgarchontomachia sive expugn^tta*
Messopolis^^ is by him. *
BERETIN. See BERRETINL
BERG ^JOHN Peter),' a learned divine, was born at
Bremen, September 3, 1737, and died at Duisbourg, March
3, 1800. He was distinguished as a theologian and philo-
sopher, and a man of very extensive learning. He was
eminently skilled in the Oriental languages, particulai'ly
the Araibic, and for many years acquired much fame by his
lectures on the holy scriptures, in the university pf Duis-
bourg. He published, 1. " Specimen animadversionum
philologicarum ad selecta Veteris Testamenti loca," Ley-
den, 1761, 8vo. 2. " Symbolse litterarise Duisburgenses
ad ipcrementum scientiarum a variis amicis amice collatde,
ex Haganis factae Duisburgenses, '^' vol. I. 1783; vol. II.
1784 — 6. If this be the saijicf work with his " Museum
Duisburgense," it is a sequel to the " Musasum Hag«inum,^'
1 British Essayists^ Preface tothe Wbrldt—Tbrale's Aneodotes, and Bo$«v€)H9
Life of Johnson.
' Af Qceri.
BERG. 37
by the learned professor Barkey, minister of the G^mau
church at the Hague. '
BERGALLI (Charles), an Italian monk of the order
of the minorite conventuals^ was born at Palermo, and in
1650, when he officiated during Lent at Bologna, acquired
high reputation as a preacher. He was professor of philo**
sophy and divinity in the convents of his order, provincial
in Sicily, and superintendant of the great convent of Pa«
lermo, where he died, November 17, 1679. He published
a philosophical work, or at least a work on philosophy, en*
titled " De objecto philosophise," Perug. 1649, 4to; and
it is said that he wrote an Italian epic poem called ^^ Davi*
diade,*' a collection entitled *^ Poesis miscellanea," and
an elementary work on medicine, ** Tyrocinium medico
facultatis ;" but these have not been printed. *
BERGALLI (Louisa), an Italian poetess, was born
April 15, 1703, and appeared from her infancy capable of
making a 6gure in the literary world. Her father, although
of a genteel family of Piedmont, was ruined by various mis-
fortunes, and at length set up a shoemaker^s shop in Venice,
where he acquired some property. His daughter Louisa,
one of a numerous family, discovered first a ta^te for em-
broidery, then for drawing and painting, in which she was
instructed by the celebrated female artist Rosalba Carriera;
nor did she make less progress in literature, philosophy,
and languages. She learned French of her father, and
Latin under an excellent master, and in the course of this
study she translated some of the comedies of Terence.
Having conceived a particular taste for dramatic poetry,
she received some instructions from Apostolo Zeno. As
soon as her talents were known, places both lucrative and
honourable were offered to her at Rome, Poland, Spain, and
Milan, but she would not quit Venice, her native country, and
continued her studies until the age of thirty^five, when she
married count Gaspard Gozzi, a noble Venetian, known ia
the literary world for his Italian dramas and other works.
She lived with him very happily, and bore five children,
whom she educated with great care. The time of her
•death is not mentioned. Her principal works are, 1. ** A-
gide re di Sparta,'' a musical drama, Venice, 1725, 12mo.
. 2. « La Teba," a tragedy, ibid. 1728, 8vo. 3, " L'Ele-
nia," musical drama, ibid. 1730, 12mo. 4. *< Le Awcn-
1 Biog. Unirerselle. — Month. ReTf vol. L^l. p. 4€7,
9 i^oreriy-r^iog. Unirerselle^
58 B E R G A I> L I.
*
ture del poeta^" CQPaedy, ibid, 1730, 8vo, 5. '" El^Ura,"- *
tragedy, ibid. 1743, 12mo. 6. " La Bradapaapte," musi-
cal dramq., ibid. 1747, 12ino. 7, " Le Coinmedie di Te-
renzio tradotto in versi scioUi," ibid, 1733, 8vo. ^, Trans-
|a:tions from Racine and other dramatic poets of France.
9. '* Componimenti poetici delle piu iUnstn rima<;rici d'og-*
pi secolo,'* ibid. 1726, l2mo, Many of her sonnets an4
lesser pieces appeared froih time to time in various collec-
tions. *
BERGAMO, See FORESTI.
BERGANTINI (John Peter), an Italian author of the
last century, was born at Venice, October 4, 16»l.^ He
jjtudied for eight years in the Jesuil;s' college of Bolggnai
and on his return to his own country, after a course of civil
und canon law, was created doctor in 17d6, Hel^egan
then to practise at the bar, where he bad considerable suc-
cess, until he arrived at the twenty-fourth year of bis agei,
when he suddenly changed his profession, and entered the
order of the Theatinsj January 12, 1711. He was gome
years after called to Rome, by the general of the order, and
appointed their secretary; and such was his reputation
among them, that he obtained a dispensation, never before
granted by that society, to confess women, si^ year§ before
the time prescribed by their laws. He afterwards devoted
much of his time to preaching, through the principal cities
of Italy. On his return to Venice in 1726, be determined
to settle there, dividing his time between the duties of his
profession, and the study of the best ancient authors, and
those of his own country. His first publications were ha-
rangues, panegyrics, and funeral orations, few of which
survived him, but the following works were thought entitled
to more durable fame: 1. A translation of Thuanus " D^
re Accipitraria," and of Bargee's " Ixeuticon," nnd^r the
title of " II Falconiere di Jacopo Aug. Thuano, &c» with
the Latin text and learned notes, Venice, 1735,. 4tjOt
?. A translation of Vaniere's ** Prsedium rusticumj" en»
titled *' Delia Possessione di Campagna," Venice, 1748,
8vo, unluckily taken from the edition of 1706, the tranala*
tor not being acquainted with that of 1730. He translated
also cardinal de Polignac's ** Anti-Lucretius,'' Verona,
175d, Svo^ and published an improvement of the de la
Ci:M§ca dicuonary, uuder the title " Delia volgar^ elocu*
B E S O A N T I N L W
%iwe, illu^ty^toy ampUctta e faciUtata, ^ol. I. contenente
A- B«'' YeaicQ, 174O9 folio. Tbe bookseller being unstio*
€e$«ful in the sale; this volume only appeared, but the
aiitbor, in 1743, published a prospectus in wbiob he pro«
£9s^d to have re-^modelled the work, and reduced it front .
twelve volufne^ to iix. This, however, still remains in ma*
nuscript, with many pther works from his pen. Our aatho-
rity does not mention bi$ death. ^
BKBGELLANLJS (John Arnold), the author of a poem
in praise of printing, written in Latin hexameters and pen*
tafpoterst has isscaped the research^ qf biographers as to
much personal history. It is, however, conjectured, that
his prQPi^r name was Arnold or Arnoldi, and that he was
called ]^ergellanus from his country. It is supposed also
that he caine to M^nte, and was employed tiiere, either
as a worknaaui or as a' corrector of the press. John Conrad
ZieltqQf, who is pf this last opinion, has apcerdin^ly as«
signed hiui a short article in his Latin history of the oor«
rectors of the press, p. 79, 80, where he calls him John
Anthony, iqst^ad of John Arnold. Struvias (Intiod. in
not. rei litterarise, p. 892) considers Bergellanus as th^
first historian of printing, but in this he is mistaken. Men*
tel, in bis ** Pafs^nesis de vera origine Typographic, p. 52,
s^ys that Bergellanus's poem was printed in 1510, which
could not be the case, as mention is made in it of Oharles
V. who was not emperor until 1519. Walkius, who wrotd
in 1608, asserts that Bergellanus.wrote or published hii|
poem eighty -years before^ which brings us to 15120, but in
fact it was not written or published until 1540 and 154 J, as
appears oli^afly by the author's dedication to cardinal Al-
bert, archbishop of Mentz and marquis of Brandebourg.
TberQ h^ye been six editions of it, separate or joined to
other works on the subject. The two last are by Prosper
Marchand in his History of Printing, Hague, 1740, 4to,
a^d by Wplfius in his ^^ Monumenta typo^aphica.'* *
BEflGEN (Chahles Augustus de), a German an^o«
quist aqd botanist, was bom August 11, 1704, at Francfort
on the Oder. His father, John George Bergen, was pro«
fessor of anatomy and botany in that university. After his
early studies, his father gave him some instructions in tlie
prineiples of medicine, and then sent him to Leyden,
Yii^ffi he studied under Bo^riiaave and Albinus. He also
I B'lQs* UpirtrseUg, > Moreri.
40 R E R G E N.
I
went to Paris for farther improvement in anatomy. The
reputation of Saltzman and Nicolai next induced him to
pass some time at Strasburgb, and after visiting other cele-
brated universities in Germany, he returned to Francfort,
and took his doctor's degree in 1731. The following year
he was appointed professor-extraordinary, and, in 1738,
succeeded, on the death of his father, to the chair of ana-
tomy and botany. In 1744 he became professor of thera-
peutics and pathology, in room G[f Goelicke, which he re-
tained with high credit until his death, October 7, 1760, on
which occasion his life, in the form of an eloge, was pub-
lished in the Leipsic Medical Commentaries, vol. IX.
Bergen is the author of a great many works on botany,
and various branches of natural history. In 1742 he pub-
lished a dissertation to prove the superiority of the system
of Linnaeus to that of Tournefort, but afterwards he
changed his opinion, and his ** Francfort Flora,'' published
in 1750, is arranged on the Tournefortian system, although
with improvements. This Flora was originally only a new
edition of the " Vade Mecum" of Johrenius, one of his
predecessors in the botanical chair, but unquestionably his
additions were then new and important. - He also proposed
|L new classification of shells, published observations on the
anatomy of frogs, and several dissertations or memoirs on
various plants and animals. His academical dissertations
on anatomy were published by Haller, who particularly
praises those on the intercostal nerve and on the cellular
membrane. His works not included in that collection are,
1. "Icon nova ventriculorum cerebri," Francfort, 1734.
2. " Programma de pia matre," Nuremberg, 1736, 4to.
3. ^^ Programma de nervis quibusdam cranii ad novem pa-
ria hactenus non relatis," Francfort, 1738. 4. " Methodus
cranii ossa dissuendi, et machined hunc in finem constructae,
delineatio," 1741, 4to. 5. ^* Pentas obervationum anato-
mico-physiologicarum," 1743, 4to. 6. " Elementa physi-
ologiae," Geneva, 1749, 8vo, after the manner of Boer-
haave's Institutes. 7. ^^ Anatomes experimentalis, pars
prima et secunda," Francfort, 1755, 1758, 8vo. 8. Seve-
ral dissertations and theses, in the medical journals. 9.
•* Programma," already mentioned, on the comparative
merits of the Linnsean and Tournefortian systems, Franc-^
fort, 1742, 4to; Leipsic, 1742, 4to. 10. ^^ Dissertatio de
Aloide," Francfort, 1753, 4to, with a supplement in the
^ifpv^ Act* Acad, Nat. Curiosor. vol. II. U, ^^ Catalogue
BERGEN. 41
stirpium quas hortus academise Viadrinse (Francfort) com-
jplectitur," 1744, 8vo. 12. " Flora Francofurtana,** ibiel.
1750, 8vo. 13. " Classes conchyliorutn," Nuremberg,
1760, 4to. Adanson consecrated a genus to the memory
of Bergen under the name of Bergena, but it was nojt
adopted by Linnaeus. * ,
BERGER (John Henry de), a learned lawyer, was born
at Gera, Jan. 27, 1657, and studied at Halle, Leipsic, and
Jena. He afterwards was appointed professor of law at
Wittemberg, and counsellor at Dresden. In 1713,
Charles VI. invited him to Vienna in quality of aulic
counsellor of the empire, and he died there November
25, 1732. Of his qumerous works, which have been often
reprinted,- the following are the principal: 1. "Electa
processus executivi, processorii, provocatorii et inatri-
monialis," Leipsic, 1705, 4t(). 2. /* Electa disqeptationuia
forensium," the best edition of which is that of Th.
Hayme, 1738, 3 vols. 4to. 3. "Electa jurisprudentiae
criminalis," Leipsie, 1706, 4tD. 4. " Responsa ex omni
jure," 1708^ folio. 5. " CEconomia juris," 1731, folio.
Berger left three sons, Christopher Henry, Frederic Louis,
and John Augustus, who all followed the profession of the
law with distinguished merit. '
BERGER (John William), brother to the preceding,
was professor of eloquence at Wittemberg, aulic counsellor
to the elector of Saxony, Augustus II. king of Poland, and
died in 1751. He wrote several interesting dissertations,
mostly on points of ancient history and literature, among
which are, 1. " Dissert. Sex de Libanio," Wittemberg,
1696, 1698, 4to. 2. " De antiqua poetarum sapientia,"
1699, 4to. 3. " De Virgilio oratore," 1705, 4to. 4. " Dis-
sert tres de Lino," 1707, 4to. 5. " Disciplina Longlni
selecta," 1712, 4to. 6. " De Mysteriis Cereris et Bacchi,'*
1723, 4to. 7. " De Trajano non Optimo," 1725, 4to.
8. " De Stephanophoris veterum," 1725, 4to, &c. Saxi-
us, who has given a much fuller list of his dissertations,
E raises him as a man of most extensive learning, and who
ad scarcely his equal in Germany. Yet from one of his
works we should be inclined to doubt his taste. Among
those enumerated by Saxius is one, *^ De naturali pulchri-
tudine orationis," 1719, in which he attempts to prove
that Caesar's Commentaries (the pure^ simple, and elegant
style of which is more remote from th^ sublime than that
^ ^iop Uqiveni^Ue, 9 Moreri.— Bio|p. UniTeneHe.«r^S«xti OoDinastr
4« ^EB^GEIt
of s^ny of the classical ftutbors) contain th^ most cpippleU
ejcemplification of aU Longiaus's rul^^ relatttig to ^ublim'e
writing* After bi3 de^tb was published ^^ Conspectus Sib*-
liothecae B^rgerianflP ;" lal^Q " Libri Mawscripti et im^
pr^si, coljaji qum Manupcriptis ex Bibliotbeca Jo. Gul. de
Bergcr," 1752, 8vo. Another brother, JoHW Godfeey pg
Bf R6£^y was an eminent pbyuician, and published, !• " Pby*
aiglpgica m^dica," Witfcenpiberg, J 701, and often reprinted,
2. ^* De Therrpis Carolinis conmaeatatio^" ibid. 1709, 4to.
Ha died October 3, 1736, *
. BEBGER (Theqdqkj5)| professor of law find history at
Cobourg, was horn at UnteHautern in 16S2, studied at
Halle, and accompanied several young gentlemen on their
travels. He died November 80/ 1773. His " Universal
History," published, in German, at Cobourg, fplio, is highly
esteemed by his countrymen, and passed through five edi>^
tions. It has since been continued by professor Wolfgang •
JsBger, 1781, folio. '
BERQERAC (Savinjen Cyrano de), was born about
1630, in the castle of Bergerac in Perigord, and was at
first very indiffiprently educated by a poor country priest.
He afterwards came to Paris, and gave himself up to evpry
kind of dissipation. He then entered as a cadet in the
regiment of guards^ * and endeavoured to acquire repu-
tation on the score of braveryi by acting as second in
many duels, besides those in which he was a principal,
scarce a day passing in which he had not some affair of this
kind on bis hands, Whoever obser\'ed his nose with any
attention, which was a very remarkable ope, was sure to b^
involved in a quarrel with him. The courage he shewed
upon these occasions, and some desperate actions in which
be distinguished himself when in the army, procured him *
the name of the Intrepid, which be retained to the end of
his life. He was shot through the body at the siege of
Mouzon, and run through the neck at the siege of Arras, in
1 640; and the hardships he suffered at these two sieges, the
little hopes be had of preferment, and perhaps his attach-*
ment to letters, made him renounce war, and apply himself
altogether to certain literary pursuits. Amidst all his foU
lies he had never neglected literature, but often withdrew
himself, during the bustle and dissipation of a soldier's life,
to read and to write. He composed many works, in which
be shewed some genius and extravagance of imagination^
1 Biog. Universelle.— Blair's Lectures. —iSaxiiOoomasticoa,
B E R G £ H A C, «9
Ms^rsh^l-Gassion, who loved ipen of wit wi CQi^rstgf, be*-
cau^^ he had both biipself, would have B^reerS'C with biWf
but he, being passionately fond of liberty, looked Upon fchi>
advantage as a constraint that would never s^gi*^^ with bim,
and therefore refused it. At length* how^var, in eoiatpli-
ance with his friends, who pressed him to procure a patroa
at court, he overtanme his scruples, and placed himself witb
the duke of Arpajon in 1653. To this nobleman be dedi**
cated his works the same year, for be bad published nop^
before, coni>isting of spme letters written ip bis yputb, with
a tragedy on the death of Agrippina, widow of Germanicus*
He afterwards printed a comedy called " The Pedant,"
but his other works were not printed till after bi? deatbu
His ** Comic history of the states and empires of the
Moon" was printed in 1656. His " Comic history of the
states and empire^ of the Sun," several letters and dia«-
Jogues; and a fragment pf physics, were all collected and
published afterwards in a volume. These comic histories
and fragments shew that he was well at^quainted with the
Caitesian philosophy, He died in 1 6$ 5, aged only thirty •■
five years, bis de^th being occasioned by a blow upon hi^
bead which he unluckily received from the fall of a piece
pf wood a few months before.
The earl of Orrery, in hiB " Ren^arks on the life and
writings of Swift," has taken occasion to speak of bioj in
the following manner : " Cyrano de Bergerac is a French
jiuthor of a singular character, who had a very peculiar turn
of wit and humour, in many respects resembling that of
Swift. He wanted the advantages of learning and a regu*
Jar education ; his imagination was less guarded and cor*
rect, but more agreeably extravagant, He has introduced
into hi$ philosophical romance the system of des Cartes,
which was then much admired, intermixed with several fin^
strokes of just satire on the wild and immechaoical inqui^
ries of the philosophers and astronomers of that age ; and
in many parts he has evidently directed the plan which the
dean oi St. Patrick's has pursued." This opinion was first
quoted in the Monthly Review (vol. XOj when Derrick
translated and published Bergerac's " Voyage to th^
Moon," 1753, l^mo. But Swift is not the only person iu-
debted to Bergerac. His countrymen allow that Moliere,
in several of his character^, Foptenelle* in \M ** Plurality
of Worlds," and Voltaire, in his " Micromegas,*' have taken
many biuU and $ket(:he» fr^m (bi^ eceentric wrilcr. There
»
«
44 6 fi H G E R A C.
have been various editions of his works at Paris, Amster*
dam, Trevoux^&c. : the last was printed at Paris, 1741, 3
vols. 12 mo.*
BERGHEM (Nicolas.) See BERCHEM.
BERGIER (Nicolas), an eminent French antiquary,
was born at Rhei'ms, March 1, 1567, and not 1557, as as-*
sorted by Bayle, Moreri, and Niceron, After finishing his
studies at the university of that 6ity, he became preceptor
to the children of count de St. Souplet, who always testi-
fied his respect for him on account of the pains he bestowed
on their education. ' He then was admitted an advocate,
and appointed law-professor and syndic of the city, a place
which he filled during many of the elections. His talents
and virtues were so highly estimated by his fellow-citizens,
that as a mark of their confidence they employed him on
their affairs at Paris. During his visits to that metropolis,
he commenced a friendship with Dupuy and Peiresc, and
formed an acquaintance with the president de Bellievre,
who obtained for him the place of historiographer by bre-
vet, with a pension of two hundred crowns. He was on a
visit at the country-house of this celebrated magistrate,
when he was attacked by a fever, which terminated fatally^
August 18, 1623, in his fifty -seventh year. The president
honoured him with an affectionate epitaph, which is printed
in his two principal works. He is particularly known in the
literary world by his " Histoire des grands chemins de
Tempire Remain,'* a work in which he was assisted by his
friend Peiresc, who furnished him with many necessary
documents. It was first printed in 4to, 1622, and in the
course of a cenXury became very scarce. In 1712 the first
book of it was translated into English, and published at Lon-
don, in 8vo, entitled " The general history of the Highways
in all parts of the world, particularly ?n Great Britain.'* In
1728, John. Leonard, bookseller and printer at Brussels,
published a new edition of the original, 2 vols. 4to, from a
copy corrected by the author ; and one yet more improved
was printed atthe same place, in 1736, 2 vols. 4to. They
are both scarce, but the first is reckoned the best printed.
It has also been translated into Latin by Henninius, pro-
fessor in the university of Duisbourg, with learned notes,
and the remarks of the abbe Du Bos, for Grsvius's antiqui-
ties, vol. X. ; but Bayle is mistaken in supposing that this
1 Biog, t7oi¥enene.-*oDict., Hist. -^Moreri, et UA^ocat In Cyrapo,
B E R G I £ R. 45
work was translated into Latin and Italian by Benedict
Baccbini, who, however, made some progress himself in a
work <^ De viis antiquorum Romanorum in Italia/* and
doubtless would have availed himself of Bergier's labours.
Besides this history of the Roman roads, Berg^er had be-
gun a history of Rheims, the manuscript of which the pre"
sident de Bellievre wished Andre Duschesne to complete,
but some obstruction arising on the part of the chapter of
Bbeims, who refused Duschesne access to their archives^
he declined proceeding with the undertaking. The son of
the author, however, John Bergier, unwilling that the whole
should be lost, published the two books left complete by his
father, with a sketch of the other fourteen of which it was to
consist. This was entitled '• Dessein de I'Histoire de Reims,**
ibid. 1635, 4tOw Bergier was also author of 1. '' Le point
du Jour, ou Traits du Commencement des Jours et de Pen-
droit ou il est etabli sur la terre,*' Rheims, 1629, ISmo.
The first, a Paris edition, 1617, was entitled " Archeme*
ron.'* His object is to attain some general rule for avoid-
ing the disputes respecting the celebration of the Catholiq
festivals. 2, " Le Bouquet royal," Paris, 1610, 8vo;
Rheims, 1637, 4to> enlarged, an account of the devises
and inscriptions which graced the entrance of Louis XIII.
into Rheims. 3. <* Police generale de la France," 1617.
4. Various Latin and French poems inserted in the collec-
tions^ but we cannot pronounce him very successful as a
poet.*
BERGIER (Nicolas Sylvester), . a French writer of
considerable note, was born, at Darnay in Lorraine, .Decern*
ber 31,1718. In the career of promotion he was first cu-
rate of Flangebouche, a small village in Franche-Comt^,
then professor of theology, principal of the college of Be-
.san9on, a canon of the church of Paris, and confessor to
the king's aunts. Throughout life he was one of the most
strenuous opponents of the modern philosophers of France*
^e acquired an early name by some essays on various lite-t
xary subjects, io which the prizes were adjudged at Besan-
{oa ; and his reputation was considerably heightened by his
very ingenious .and plausible work, entitled ** Elements
primitifs des Langues, &c." Paris, 1764, 12mo. Soon af-
ter he published another, which was favourably received by
|he learned world, *' Origiae des Dieux du Paganisme et
* Biog. .UDiTerselle.T-.-Oen. Bict.'^NicerQiif toL VL<— Moreri.-^Meinoirs o£
|4t9r»t)ire^ roll. IV. i«t&d YIL
49 B E A O t E It
le« sens de* Fables decon vert, par tine eif plication strivltf
des Poesies d'Hesiode/* Paris, 1767, 2 vols. 12mo. When
about the same time be found religion attacked in every
quarter by a combination of men of talents in France, he
determined^ to endeavour to counteract their schemes.
With this view he wrote ** La Certitude des Preuves dn
Christianisme,*' 1768, 12mo, pstrticularly directed against
the " Examen critique des Apologistes de la religion Chre*
tieime," improperly attributed to Freret; and it was allowed
to have been written with much sense, precision, and mo-
deration. This work, which occasioned more friends and
more ' enemies to Bergier than any other, passed through
three editions in the same y6ar, besides being translated
into Italian and Spanish. Voltaire, to whom the popularity
of any Writings of this tendency must have been peculiarly
unpleasant, affected to answer it in his ** Conseils raison-
ables," written with his usual art, but more remarkable for
wit than argument, Bergier answered the *^ Conseils,**
tlie only instance in which he. noticed any of his adversaries
\ti public. He had another more contemptible antagonist,
the noted Anacharsis Cloots, who published what he, and
perhaps no man else, would have called " Certitude des
Preoves du Mahometisme.*' About this time the blergy of
France, sensible of Bergier*s services, gave him a pension
of two thousand livres, and offered him some valuable be-
nefices, but he would only accept of a canonry in Notre
Dame, and it was even against his inclination that he was
afterwards appointed confessor to the mesdames, the last
king's aunts. Free from ambition, modest and simple in '
dress and manners, he was desirous only of a retired life,
und at Paris-he lived as he had done in the country, in the
midst of his books. This study produced, successively,
!. ** Le Deisme refute par lui-meme," Paris, 1765, 1766,
176B, 2 vols. 12mo, an examination of the religious prin-
ciple of Rousseau. 2. " Apologie de la Religion Chre-
tienne contre Fauteur du Christianisme devoil^," (the baron
Holbach) Paris, 1769, 2 vols. 12mo, 3. " Examen du
Materialisme, ou refutation du systeme de la Nature," Pa-
ris, 1771, 2 vols. 12mo. 4. " Trait6 historique et dogma-
tique de la vraie Religion, &c." Pari«, 1780, 12 vols. 12mo/
This is, in some respect, a collection of the sentiments of
the ablest writers against infidelity. 5. •* Discours sur le
Mariage des Protestants," i7»7, dvo. 6, '^Observations
sur le Divorce," ibid. 1790, 8vo, He also compiled a the-
B £ R G t £ A. 4«
eloptA dictioAiry, which mtkes a part of the ^ Encyclo-
pedia metbodique/^ 9 vols. 4to. The abb^ Barrtiel says»
tjiat when this work was first undertaken, some deference
was still paid to religion, and Bergier thought it incumbent
On him to yield to the pressing solicitations of his friends,
lest the part treating of religion should fall into the hands
6f its enemies, but in this they were deceived. Bergier,
indeed, performed his task as might have been e2q>ected ;
but in other parts of the work the compilers exceeded their
predecessors in licentious sentiments, and at the same time
availed themselves of the name of Bergier as a cloak. M.
Barbier attributes to our author the sketch of Metaphysics
inserted in the •* Cours d'etude de Pusage de PEcoIe mili-
taire.*' In all his works there is a logical arrangement and
precision, and the only objection the French critics have is
to his style, which is sometimes rather diffuse. He died at
Paris, April 9, 1790. He was a member of the academy of
Besan^on, and an associate of that of inscriptions and belles^
lettres. »
BERGIUS (John Henry Louis), a German writer, wa«
bom at Laaspa in 1718, and died in 1781. He published,
f. ^ Cameralisten Bibliothek," a complete catalogue of all
books, pamphlet!^, &c. on the subjects of political economy^
police, finances, &c. Nuremberg, 1765, 8vo. 2. " A Ma-
fazine of Police and Administration, in alphabetical order,*^
rancfort, 1767, 1773, 8 vols. 4to. 3. " New Magazine of
Police, &c.** Leipsic, 177 J — 80, 6 vols. 4to. 4. •* A col-
lection of the principal German laws, relative to police and
administration,^ Francfort, 4 vols. 1780 — 81. This last
was continued by professor Beckmann of Gottingen. •
BERGIUS (PfcTEli Jonas), a physician and professor of
natural history at Stockholm, and a member of the aca-
demy of sciences of that city, died in 1 79 1 . He wrote many
works of considerable reputation. Having received from
Crtkbb, the director of the Swedish India company, an her-
bal of plants collected at the Cape of Good Hope, be drew
lip a description of them, under the title of " Descriptio-
nes plantar am e^ Capite Bon* Spei,*' Stockholm, ,1767,
Ivo, but generally quoted by the shorter title of " Flora
Capensis.'* Bergius discovered several plants in that co-
tofiy» which had escaped the knowledge of preceding bota«
^ Bio^. UniTerselle. — ^B»rrael'f Memoiri of JaGobiiuim» t«1. J. p* &l*
* fitog.Uiiiverselle. y
V
48 B E R G I U &
nists, and established several genera, one of which he de-.
dicated to Grubb, but this title was not generally adopted.
He also published various memoirs on plants in the trans-
actions of the societies of which he was a member, and^
without ever travelling out of Sweden, found means to ac-
quire a very accurate knowledge of the most rare erotics,
and in compliment to his skill Linnaeus consecrated to him
a new g^enus by the name of Bergia. He wrote a vegetable
** Materia medica," under the title of " Materia medica e
regno vegetabili, sistens simplicia officinalia pariter atque
culinaria," Stockholm, 1778, 8vo; 17S2, 2 vols. 8vo ; and
in the Swedish, a treatise on fruit trees, 1780, and a histo-
rical work on the city of Stockholm in the fifteenth and
sixteenth century. ^
BERGIUS (Bengts or Benedict), brother of the pre^
ceding, a commissary of the bank of Stockholm, and a
member of the academy, was born in 1725, and died, in
1784. Being equally attached to the study of naturaf his-
tory, the brothers kept between them a very large garden,
in which they cultivated rare plants, and which they be-
queathed to the academy of Stockholm, with funds for a
professorship of agriculture and gardening. The present
professor is the celebrated Olaus Swartz. * Benedict Ber-
gius wrote various papers inserted among those of the^ aca-
demy, on the colour and change of colour of animals, on
certain plants, the history of fishes, &c. and after his death
appeared an ingenious treatise of hisi in Swedish, on
^* Nicety in diet among all people," which was translated
into German, and published by Reinold Forster and Spren-
gel at Halle, 1792.*
BERGLER (Stephen), was born at Hermanstadt, the
capital of Transj'lvania, about 1680, and leaving his coun-.
try in pursuit of employment, engaged with Fritsch, the
opulent and spirited bookseller of Leipsic, as corrector of
the press, but his turbulent and unsocial character having^,
occasioned a dispute between him and Fritsch, he went to
Amsterdam, where his intimate knowledge of Greek recom-
mended him to the superintendance of Wetstein's edition
of Homer, 1702, 2 vols. 12mo, and the magnificent edition
of the Onomasticon of Pollux, 2 vols.fol. 1706. Bergler
afterwards went to Hamburgh, where he assisted Fabricius
in his Bibl. Graeca, and his editiou of Sextus Empiricus^
1 Bioj.UmTettclU. ^ IbkL
B E R G L E R. 4S
Leipsic, 1718, folio. Returning then, to Leipsic> heirans^
eribed ah ancient scholiast on Homer, published a neif edi-
tion, of Aiciphron, with excellent notes^ 171^, Svo, and
made some progress in an edition of Herodotus, in a new
translation of Herodian, more literal thaathat^oftPolitJaii^
and in an edition of Aristophanes, vrhiohwai published by
the younger Burmann in 1760, 2 vols^ 4to. Amidst all
these employments, he contributed several excelleut papers
to the Leipsic ** Acta Eruditorum.'' It is to htm likewise
that we owe the Latin translation of the four books of Oe*
nesius on the Byzantine history, which is inserted in vol.
XXIIL of that collection, published at Venice in 1733, but
is not in the fine Louvre edition. For Fritsch, to whom he
seems to have been reconciled, he translated a Greek work
of Alexander Maurocordato, hospbdar of Walachia, which
was published, with the original text, > under the title ^^ Li-
ber de officiis," Leipsic, 1722, 4to, and London, 1724,
12mo« For this he was so liberally revirarded by John Ni«
cplasy prince of Walachia', and son to the author, that he
determined to quit Leipsic^ and attach himself to bis .patron.
He went accordingly to Walachia, wbeVe the prince had a
capital library .of manuscripts, collected at. a yast expence.
Bergler found there the introduction and first three chap-
ters of Eusebius's " Evangelical Demonstration," hitherto
madiscovered, and sent a copy of them to Fabricius, by
.whom they were printed in his ^^ Delectus argumentorum,"
Hamburgh, 1725, 4to« On the destth of the prince, how-
ever, Bergler being without support, went to Constantly
nople, where he died in 1746, after having, it is said, em-
braced Mahometanism. He was a most accomplished scho-
lar in Greek and Latin, and an accurate editor ; but his
unsteady turn and unsocial disposition procured him many
^ enemies, and even among his friends he was rather tole-
rated than admired. '
BERGMAN (Sir Torbern), a celebrated chemist and
natural philosopher, was born March 20, 1735, at Catha-
rineberg in Westgothland. His father was receiver-gene-
ral of the finances, and had destined him to the same em-
ployment; but nature had designed him for the sciences,
to which he had an irresistible inclination from his earliest
years. His first studies we're confined to mathematics and
physics, and all efforts that were made to divert him. from
1 • .' • '
1 Biog. Uaiverstlie.-- Saxii ODOOMStitoo,
YouV. ■ E ■
S# B £ H ($ S£ A^i^M.
•eifloee h^i4fig jlfOTttd indfccttial^ he #a» $«tf to jUpaat
with permission to follovr the bent oif bis iiii!tiii8UCM!iw Lin-^
fieua at that time filled the wkole kiiigdfom. with his fame.
imAigaied by his example, the Swedirii youdt AoduBDd
around bim; and acoomplisfaed disci|9lesieaYiiig h'rasdftool^
earried the naatie aod die system: of tbeir niasier to the most
diBtiBMiit parts of the globev Bergmao^ s^ttudi wicb the
ipleadciiir of thia renowii^ attached bioiseif to the man whose
aserit had ptocnred it, and by wfaooi he was very soon dis^
tmguistead. He applied buwelf at fir st to the stooiy of m^
aeets, and made seveml ingenious leseaicbes into tbeiv
history;, aau^og otbetfs iate that of the genua of Untkred^^
ab oAie» and 9^ enielly preyed oo* b^* the larfos el the ieb«
aemaie&a, that neatle in their, boocfdn and drrour tbem* He
d»oo¥eved that, the leecfa< is evipaaooa^ aoad idiat tkie eoecaa
a^uatieua ts> the egg^ oi this anoud, fkodi wheaoe issue ten
or tvfeUe youngv Lianasusiy wlia h«d» att first deuiied tbis
§tK(str we^ struck \d«k astotinriuBaeot aokwit he saair it pncwredl
5^ ViULeflobetapui!'^' were the words be pronouneed^ aod*
aibieb be- vnaote at the foes oi the naenioit? vAimt be gsnre it
bih saactiom Mr. Bei<gaMBi men diitongaisfaed- hinnelf as
aa astroodmerf naturaHst, and geootetrieian; bat these* we
net the tittestby which heaeqaived bis fdtsm. The cbair ol
cbeaiifltry and mineralogy^ which bad been* fiUed by dM
eel^btialied) WaiiertiiS) beoomiog vacant by hia Mugnation^
Mr. Bergmaa was^aoion^ the niaabev of tbtr eompetitors;
atid witimft hainng* before thte period disco vened any pavti*
eulttp atoeatioa to eheouetry^ he pubUsfaed a mesnotr 00 the
pveparal»o» of akim,. thai astonifihed bii* friends m welt at
)m. adversariistf ; bot it waS' wamrfy ansackecb iw the pem^'-
cal publica^MHiSy and Walteriua himself cidiausised it witfaoat
jiaaerveL The dispute, ine ntaysapyuBey wair. deemed^ of
faigli ioipoiPtaiioe^ sioee the prince Gaatanrus, a£i9etfvraiid^
king of Sweden, and then chancellor oi t^ attivecsity^
took 4So>^zance ol the afi&ir, and after having consulted
fm^ personify the m^t able to gikre bim ad^iee, and: whose
testimony went iwfaiwiv of Bergman, he addVesBed a me«
rmffiAs wfitum* with his owti^ hand^ m answer to M the oh^
jection» uf^ged' against the: candilQiailev to^ the^ consistory of
the ttimiemtty aadi to the senate, wto elected tain»agceeably
to his btgbim»'» i^ifahea.
B)ei^giiiae>bflitoow't0'saefafy'tWfe were coaamred
of bim ; to justify the opinion of those who recommeaded
him ; to fill the pfisEcr of W^erius-^ and to put eitvy to
rfkenee ; not was he iin^ttceessful in any of tb^sc^ aftewfipW,
tie did not follow the common track in the$ study ^ thi^
mistry. As he had received the lessons of no niaster^ faft
Wtfs tainted with th^ j^rejudices of no sebbol. Acenstoftied
to fnrecision, and having nO titne to lose^ he af^plied bifni^^
to experiments without pacing any attention to iheoHteS ^
lie repeated those often which he con^ide^ed aS the ihoilt
faiportant and instructive, and reduced dieih to method^ ttk
improvement till then unknown. He fir^ intrddueed intii
chemistry the process by analysis^ whiefa oiight to be a^
plied to every science ; for there should be but one ti^
d>od of teaching and' learning, a^ there is but One of j^<l^^
well. These views have been laid dt>#n by Mr. BlergdiS
in an eKcelletit discourse, which contains, if we^mayusetii^
llhrase, his ^fesston of faith in what relates to the Science
It is here tkat he displays himself without d^sgtiisfe to hh
render, and here it is of iobpoHance to study him ^ith a^
ientiorn. The productions of voleahoes bad itevef be^
analysed when Messrs. Perber and Troil brought d ric&
collection of them into SWed^, at the tight of #hie&
Mr. Be^ginan conceived the design of investigating tli^
nature. He examined first 6f ail the matters least idtefreA
6y the fire, and the forn» of which were still id be dti^
te^ned ; he foilowed them in their changes progrei^vely ;
he determined, he imitated their more c(Mnplie«^efd ap^
pearances ; he knew the effects v^hich wbuld tesult from
the mi)cture and decomposition of the saiine substances
whicfr aire found abundantly in these productiohs. He disv
covered such as were fernied in* the btimid way ; ifnd tbM
in his tabbratory he observed t6e ptocesS of nature ; tM%
combat of flames and explosions ; that ehaios in' which tStt^
dements seem to dash and to cenfound on^ atiotfaefr, xxn^ :
,y^led themselves to his eyes. He ittvt the fire df yolca<>i
lioeS kindled in the midst of pyritical ccfmbinsttibhs, ahd
#ei^^t decomposed by clays ; he saw ihrtfd ahf disen«^
gaged from calcined calcareous stones, Spreading upbil
ffie surfaee of tbe earth, and filling caverns in which Attend
Mtd ^mal life ai^e equally extinguished ; he sa# the snfi
j^ureous acid thrown out in waves, converi itself intb th6
vitrioUe by mere contact vSth' the afir; «lnd distilling
flinongh the rocksj from the aliJim veiiis 6f the solfetara.
He saw the bitumens asr tliey melted ; thi inflamm Ale and
sulphureous airs exhaling ; and the waters become mineral
and impregnated witb the fire ftudf vapours of &ose sttt«*
B 2
5« BERGMAN.
peaiious furnacesy^ preparing for the beiirgs that move asfd
jdispute on the crust of the abyss^ a remedy for pain and
s balsam for disease.
The Gontinilal application bestowed by Mr. Bergman on
)iis stu(lies having affected his health, he was advised to
interrupt them if he wished to prolong his life : but he
found happineas only in study, and would not forfeit his
title to reputation by a few years^ more of inactivity and
jUtnguor. By this enthusiasm, however, he exhausted his
^it^ength, and died July $, 1784. The university of Upsal
paid the mo$t distinguished honours to his memory ; and
4be academy of Stockholm consecrated to him a medal to
perpetuate the regret of all the learned in Europe for his
Joss. His principal publications were>: 1. ^^ A physical
description of the Earth," 1770 — 74, 2 vols, 8vo, a much
Admired work, and translated into the Danish, Qerman,
jandi Italian language^. 2. Various ** Eloges" of the mem-
bers af the .academy of Stockholm. 3. An edition of
Scheffer's " Physics." 4. -Many papers in the Transac-
tions of the Academies of Stockholm, Berlin, Montpellier,
and the Royal Society, London. These smaller pieces form
6 volsi 8»vo, under the title '^ Opuscula physica et che-
inica," 1779 — ^90, a part of which was translated under the
title of "Physical and Chemical essays," and published
jby Dn Edmund .Cullen, London, 1786, 2 vols**
BEEGOMASCO. Se^ CASTELLO.
[ BERIGARD or BEAUREGARD (Claude Guiller-
MET, SiGNOR de), was born at Moulins in 1578, and taught
philosophy with reputation at Pisa and at Padua, where
|ie died of an iimbilical hernia, in 1663. We have by
him, 1. ** Circulus Pisanus," printed in 1641, at Florence,
^to. This book. treats of the ancient philosophy, and that of
Aristotle* . 2. ^^ Dubitationes in dialogum Galilaei pro terras
immobilitate,'' 1632, 4to, under the iictitious name of
Oalilseus Lynceus ; a work which brought upon him the
charge of Pyrrhonism and materiali3m, not without foun-
dation. He has been reproached with acknowledging no
other moving principle of the world than primitive matter.
Whatever he professed, his works are now in little repute^
yet Chaufepie has bestowed a copious article on him.' .
BERING (Vitus), a Latin poet, born in Denmark in
. 1617) whose taste foe letters does not appear to have im«
' ' ) Eloges des Academiciens, Berlin; I2iiio, toI. tV. 36. — Biog. Unhrerselie.
■ .* Chaisfepie«-<-*Moreri»— Gen J)ict->-Saxii OnodiasticoB.
B E R I N G. 5»
peded his fortune, was a member of the royal cDunnl of" '
finances, and historiographer to his majesty. It Was to .,
justify his promotion to this last office, that be published *
" Floras Danicas, sive Danicarum rernm a prindordio regni •
ad tempora usque Christiani 1. Oldenburgici Breviariuof.'*
This work was printed in foi. 1698, at Odensee, the ca-
pital of Funen, at the private press of Thomas Kingorius,'
bishop of that island, who spared no eicpence to make anf
elegant book. The bookseller, however, to whovd' the*
sale was consigned, eager to get rid of the uhsold copies^
printed a new title with the date of 1700, and* when that
did not quite answer his expectations, he printed another
with the date of 1709, and notwithstanding this obvioui^
trick, there are connoisseurs who think the pretended' ledi-*
tion of 1709 preferable to that of 1698. In 1716, how-'
ever, a second edition was published in 8vo, at Timaro,'*
under the direction of the Jesuits of that piace^ Bering*i^
poetry, printed separately, was collected m the 2d vol. of
^^ Deliciae quorundam Danorum,*' Leyden, 1693, 12mo.
The smaller pieces, lyrics, sonnets, &c. arle thebcsr; he
bad not genius for the more serious efforts of the muse.
He died in 1675.*
BERKELEY (George), an eminent and learned |)re«
late, was born in Ireland, at Kilcrin, near Thomastown,
the 12th of March 1684. He was the son of William
Berkeley of Thomastown, in the county of Kilkenny ;
whose father, the family having suffered for their loyalty
to Charles I. went over to Ireland after the restoration, and
there obtained the coUectorship of Belfast. George had
the first part of his education at Kilkenny school, under
Dr. Hinton; was admitted pensioner of Trinity college^
Dublin, at the age of fifteen, under Dr. Hall ; and chosen
fellow of that college June the 9th, 1707, after a very
strict examination, which he went through with great
credit.
The first public proof be gave of his literary abilities
was his ^' Arithmetica absque Algebra aut Euclide demon-
strata;" which, from the preface, he appears to have
written before he was twenty years old, though he did not
publish it till 1707. It is dedicated to Mr. Palliser, son
to the archbishop of Cashel ; and is followed by a ni(athe-
matical miscellany, containing observations and theorems
I 9.iof . Uniy.— 3^iUet Jusemeog d^s 8ayan8.-tMprQri.«— Saxii Ononust*' >
ff B E |l K E L £ T.
^8€xi|^04 ^f bf? BHPH Mr- Samuel Molineu?, wiv)fe fa-
tLef \fa^ the frieud and porrespondeot of Locke. Thi«
|iftle pl^cie i^ SQ far curious^ as it shews bis early and strong
|iassip{i fqr t^e ma^bfsm^tic^^ bis admiration of those great
Ba,Knes in pbil^sopby) Loc^e and Newton, some of whos^^
|}p^itio|is he afterwards vei^tured to call in question^ an4
t^e poipmencemeqt of his application to those more sul;>tile
^tapbysicai ftudies^^ tq which his genius was peculiarly
jn 1709, <*fn)e forth the " Theory of Vision," which,
pf ^U hfs works| aeems to do the greatest honour to his
lagacityi; beipg, as Dr. Reic[ observes, the first attempt
^^ ever wfis made to distinguish the immediate and natu-
^l pbjects of, sight, froi^ ^e conclusions we have beei|
aqc^stomed from infancy to drai^ from them. The boiin-
Sfti^ i^ here tr^cefi out between the idea^ of sight and
|Oi{ich ; and it is sh^wp, that, though habit has so connected
tt^es^e two classef of ideas in our minds, that they are not
without ^ ^(rong effort to be separated from each other,
^et ongiiij^Uy they b^ve no ^uch connection ; insomuch,
qi^at V peifon born bliad, aud sviddealy made to see, woul^
at first be utterly unable to tell how any object that affected
Ijia 9ight would affect his touch; and particularly would
not from sight receive any idea of distance, outness, of
^:^terf)^l space, but would imagine all objects to be in hi»
eye, or rather in his nain^d. This was surprisingly co^t
^med in thecfise pf a young man born blind, and couched
^f fpi^^eea years pf age by Mr. Cheselden, in 1728. '^ 4
Dfindication of the Theory of Vision'' was published by him
ipl7?3?r
Ifl 1710 ^ppeaped " The Principles of human knqw-r
Wge;^' and^ i^ 171 3, ^^ pialoguf|s between Uylas an4.
Fl^ubi^ou^ :'' but to them the same praise has not beeo
ffiveib ^^4 ^ ^^ ^^y ^^^^ ^^ tendency is a disputed
point. The object of both pieces is to prove that the com-
Sonly received notion of the eiristeuce of matter is false ;
^ at sensible materi,al, obj^ects, as they are called, are no4^
Sxternal to the mind^ bvit exist in it, ai^d are nothing more
iian impressions made upon it by the impoediate ^ct of
^od, a^ccording tp certain rules tprnied laws of nature,^
firoip whicb^ in the ordinary course of bis. governments^ be
]f,ever devi^t^ i and tha^ the steady adherence of the Su-
preme Spirit to these rules is what constitutes the reality
of tiUagf to hia creatures* These works are declared to
BERKELEY. ^
bave been written in opposition to sceptics and tttbeisl^ $
and the author's inquiry is into the chief cause of error
aud diiEcuIty in tlie sciences, with the grounds of seep*
Ucism, atheism, and irreligion ; which cause and grounds
are found to be the doctrines of the existence of matter.
*He seems persuaded that men never could have be^n de*
luded into a false opinion of the existence of matter, if
they had not fancied themselves invested with a power of
abstracfing substance, from the qualities under which it is
perceived ; and hence, as the general foundation of his
argument, he is led to combat and explode a doctrifie
maintained by Locke and others, pf there being a power
in the mind of abstracting general ideas. Mr. Hume ssyi,
that these works ^^ form the best lessons of scepticism,
which are to be found either among the ancient or modem
philosophers, Bayle not excepted." Dr^ Beattie also con«
siders them as having a sceptical tendency. He adds, tbaA
if Berkeley's argument be conclusive, it proves that to be
false which every man must necessarily believe, every mo*
meut o£ his life, to be true, and that to be true which no
man since the foundation of the world was ever capable of
believing for a single moment. Berkeley's doctrine attacks
the most incontestable dictates of common sense, and pre-*
tends to demonstrate that the clearest principles of humaa
conviction, and those which have determined the judgotent
of men in all ages, and by which the judgment of all rea*
sonable ihen must be determined, are certainly fallacioui*
]lt may just be observed, that Berkeley had not reached
his 27th year when he published this singular system. The .
author of bis life in the Biog. Brit, asserts that *^ the airy
visions of romances, to the reading of which he was much
addicted, disgust at the books of metaphysics then received
in the university, and that inquisitive attention to the
operations of the mind which about this time was excited
by the writings of Locke and Malebranche, probably gave
birth to his disbelief of the existence of matter." What-*
ever influence the other causes here assigned 'might have
had, we have the authority of his relict, Mrs. Berkeley,
that he had a very great dislike to romances, and indeed
it would be difl&cuU to discover in any of these volumea
of absurd fiction the grounds of such a work as Berkeley's*
In 1712 he published three sermons in favour of passive
obedience and non-resistance, which underwent at least
three ediiiGfns, and afterwards had nearly done him some
* A
56 BERKELEY.
injury in his fortune. They caused him to be represented
as a^ Jacobite, and stood in his way with the house of Ha-
nover, till Mr. Mblineux, above-mentioned, took off the
impression, and first made him known to queen Caroline,
whose secretary, when princess, Mr. Molineux had been.
Acuteness of parts and beauty of imagination were so con*
^picuous in his writings, that his reputation was now es«
tablished, and his company courted even where his opinions
did not find admission. Men of opposite parties concurred
in recommending him ; sir Richard Steele, for instance,
and Dr. Swift. For the former he wrote several papers in
the Guardian, and at his house became acquainted with
Pope, with whom he afterwards lived in friendship. It is
said he had a guinea and a dinner with Steele for every
paper he wrote in the Guardian. Swift recommended him
to the celebrated earl of Peterborough, who being appointed
anibassador to the king of Sicily arid the Italian states,
took Berkeley with him as chaplain and secretary in No-
vember 1713. He returned to Eno^land with this noble-
roan in August 1714, and towards the close of the year
had a fever, which gave occasion to Dr. Arbuthnot to in-
dulge a little pleasantry on Berkeley's system. " Poor
philosopher Berkeley,*' says he to his friend Swift, " has
nov^ the idea of health, which was very hard to produce in
him; for he had an idea of a strange fever on him so strong,
that it was very hard to destroy k by introducing a con*
trarj' one." ^
His hopes of preferment expiring with the fall cJ queen
Anne's ministry, he some time after embraced an offer
made him by Dr. St. George Ashe, bishop of Clogher, of
accompanying his son in a tour through Europe. When he
arrived at Paris, having more leisure than when he first
passed through that city, Mr. Berkeley took care to pay
his respects to his rival in metaphysical sagacity, the illus-
trious Pere Malebranche. He found this ingenious father
in his cell, cooking in a small pipkin a medicine for a
disorder with which he was then troubled, an inflammation
on the lungs. The conversation naturally turned on our
author's system, of which the other had received some
knowledge from a translf^ion just published. But the
issue of this debate proved tragical to poor Malebranche,
In the heat of Jisputation he raised his voice so high, and
gave way so freely to the natural impetuosity of a man of
parts and a Frenchman, that he brought on himself a
B E R K E L E Y. Si
Tioleht JDCrease ef bis. disorder, which carried him «flF a
few days after. In this excursion Mr. Berkeley employed
tout years; and, besides those places which fall within
the grand tour, visited some that are less frequented* He
travelled over Apulia (from which he wrote an account of
the tarantula to Dr. Freind), Calabria, and the -whole
island of Sicily. This last country engaged his attentioti
so strongly, that he had with great industry collected very
considerable materials for a natural history of it, but un^
fortunately lost them in the passage to Naples. What in-
jury the literary world has sustained by this mischance^
may be collected from the specimen of his talents for ob-
servation and description, in a ietter to Mr. Pope concern-
ing the island of Inarime (now Ischia) dated October 22,
1717 ; and in another from the same city to Dr. Arhuthnot^
giving an account of an eruption of Vesuvius. On hi«
•way homeward, he drew tip at Lyons a cuiious tract " De
Motu,*' which was inserted in the memoirs of the roysl
academy of sciences at Paris, who had proposed the sub-
ject. He arrived at London in 1721 ; and, being muck
affected with the miseries of the nation, occasioned by the
South Sea scheme in 1720, published the same year ^^ An
essay towards preventing the ruin of Great Britain ;" re-
printed in his miscellaneous tracts.
His way was open now into the very first company. Mr,
Pope introduced him to lord Burlington, and lord Bur-
lington recommended him to the duke of Grafton ; who,
being lord-lieutenant of Ireland, took him over as one of
hii^ chaplains in 1721, and November this year he is said
to have accumulated the degrees of bachelor and doctor ia
divinity; but a writer in the Gent. Mag. 1776 asserts that
be never went to Ireland as chaplain to any lieutenant, and
that he was created D. D. by his college in 1717, when he
was in Italy. The year following he had ^ very unex-
pected increase of fortune from Mrs. Vanhomrigh, the
celebrated Vanessa, to whom he had been introduced by
Swift : this lady had intended Swift for her heir, but, per-
ceiving herself to be slighted by him, she left near 8000/.
between her two executors, of whom Berkeley was one.
In his life in the Biog. Brit, it is said that Swift had often
taken him to dine at this lady's house, but Mrs. Berkeley,
his widow, asserts that he never dined there but once, and
that by chance. Dr. Berkeley, as executor, destroyed ai
mttch of Vftoessa^tS correspondence as be could find. Mr*
JAzT^bsi, the 6tb«r eicecutor, p«bli«be4 the ^< CftdemM M4t
Vanessa/' which, according to Dr. Delany, proved fimtil
to Stella. May 18, 1724, he was proB^oted to the dea^^jr
of Derry, wonh 1 100/. per unnunh and reaigoed hia felt>
lowsbip..
In 172$ he published, and it has since been re*priate4
in his miscellaneous tracts, ^' A proposal for convertin|^
the savage Americans to Christianity, by a college to be
erected in the Summer Islands, otherwise called the Islea
of Bermuda f ' a scheme which had employed his thoieigbt^
for three or four years past; and for which he was disposed
to make many personal sacrifices. As what he deemed
necessary steps he offered to resign all his preferment, and
to dedicate the remainder of bis life to instructing the
American youth, on a stipend of 100/. yearly; he prer
yailed with three junior fellows of Trinity college^ Dublin,
to give up all their prospects at home, and to exchange
their fellowships for a settlement in the Atlantic ocean at
40/. a year ; he procured his plan to be laid before George h
who commanded sir Robert Walpole to lay it before the Qom<^
mons ; and further granted him a charter for erecting a col*
lege in Bermuda, to consist of a president and nine fellowfi,
who ware obliged to maintain and educate Indifin scholars
at 1 o/. a year each ; he obt^ued ^ grant from the commooa of
^ sum,. to be determined by the king ; and accordingly 20^0/.
was promised by the minister, for the purchase of lands,
9Ad erecting the college* Trusting to these promising ap'^
pearances, he married the daughter of John Forster, esq;
speaker of the Irish hou^ of commons, tt^ 1st of August
1728 ; and actually set sail in September following for
Khode Island) which, lay nearest to Beromda, taking with
him bis wife, a aingle lady, and two gentlemen of £ort«ne»
Yet the scheme entirely failed» and Berkeley waa oUiged
to return, after residing ne^r two year> at Ne?«vpQrt. . The
reason given is, that the ministear never heartily embraced
the project, and the money was turned iiito aivolher cbaa**
nel. During his residence in America, when he wad not
employed as an itinerant preacher, whi<^ biisiness could
not be discharged in the winter, he preached every Sua^
day at Newport, where was the nearest episcopal cburci^
and to that church he g&ve an organ. When the season
and his health permitted, be visited the continent, not only
in its outward skirts, but penetrated iar into its rece9ses.
The same gsmftow desira of ad^aw^mg. the beat intuce^
BERKELEY: 5»
qf Hd^loui^ w}iilph m4ttced ]bitm to gto9% tb# ^tlantici uni* "
{orjpaly sicitvif ^4 bw whilst America was th^ j»c^q9 of bi4
i{)iaistry. T^e ipis^ioiiari^ fropiu ^he Eqgli^l^ society, who
i:i^ed mt\m a,bQut |i b^n4red qiil^ of Rbo^e Island^
agre^ aciapiig theqa^eives tp bql^ a &ort of ^ynod at Pr»
BerlF^ey^ bPMie tber^ twice iq a year, ip ord^r tQ enjpj
t^^ advfuntf^gfs of ifi$ advice and ^xborta^tiQiis. ]four of
t^se m^f^ilgl) w^rf accpr^iogly M^i Q^e of the priu*
qpfil p<^i>to wbic]^ the ioatqf tb^o pr^^^d vpqn bis felipw-i
If^bourers, Tv^s ti^e a^bsolote neoQ^ity of cpnciliaMngy by
df\ iiuiopei^ ini^Qs^ (be affe^t^Qn of their b^urcirs, ai>d also
of (b§ir 4iss^i^l4Dg peigbbours. Hi^ omi example, iiideed,
v^y emioi^Uy et^ppced bis precepts upop tbia bead ; for
it ^ scarcely pos^ibbs tf> concave a ^qoduot more uoi-
fbnqly kifld; teqd^r, b^nei^cent, and liberal tbaa bis was.
£le seeiped to have only one wi$b in bis heart, which waa
to alleviate piiseiry, and to diffuse happinef^. Finding, a^
lengthy thf^ the ^ar of offending the dissenters at home,
^nd of iaclining the colonies tq assert independency, had
detercnioed the minister to make any use, rather than tb^
^t use, of the money destined for, and promised to St,
Paul's college, the d^n of Derry took a reluctapt le^ve of
a country, where the napie /of Berkeley wa'is jlong and justly
levere^ V¥>te than that of any European wMtever, At bis
^ep^^re, b^ gaiie a farm of a hundred ^r§s, which , lay
jfound hi% bQ^s^» an4 U'u bouse itself, as a benefaction to
y^ a^^ Haxvar^ ^olleg^: and tbf value of that land,-
^aifiu Qot insignificant because cultivated, became after-r
Vwds v^ry .considerable. He gave, of bis own prop^erty,
to 99e of tjiM^s^ f oUegos, and to sovora^ missionaries, books
10 tibQ aviWUt of ^v^ hundred pounds. To the other coU
if^ge kf^ jnkie fi large donation of books purchased by
q^^9 f n4 txuft^ to tM4 disjpo^l.
In (7ig, Ibi/f publinhed *^ The Minute Philosopher," iu
% vols, trq^ Tbis mast^iy \9r0rk is written in a series of
4pi44og?i^ 9^ ^ fiodj^l of Plato, a philosopher of wboia
^ it^ si|i4 tf} have, been vory fond ; and in it be pursues the
$wo^.iql$er tijUK^ilgjIl the various characters of atheist, Ilv
h^ctiiie, entb^siasi^ iicornor, critiq, metaphysician, fatalist*
UQid fceptic
We b^v^ already related by what means, and upon wbal
^ffilWOD, pr. 3trkeloy had first the honour of bfing koowQ
^ queen (Caroline. This priociess delighted mupb iq atir
te&ding to philosophical conversations between learned
6© B E R K E t E v.
and ingenious men; for which purpose she had, when'
princess of Wales, appointed a particular day in the week,
when the most eminent for' literary abilities at that time in
England were invited to attend her royal* highness in the
evening: a practice which she continued after her acces-;
sion to the throne. Of this company were doctors Clarke^^
Hoadly, Berkeley, and Sherlock. 'Clarke and Berkeliey^
were generally considered as principals in the debates that*
arose upon thoise occasions ; and Hoadly adhered to the',
former, as Sherlock did to" the latter. Hoadly was no friend'
to our author : he affected to consider his philosophy and
his Bermuda project as the reveries of a visionary. Sherlock
(who was afterwards bishop of London) on the other hand
warmly espoused his cause ; and particularly, when the
** Minute Philosopher" came out, he carried a copy of it
to the queen, and left it to her majesty to determine, whe-
ther such a work could be the production of a disordered
understanding. After dean Berkeley's return from Rhode
Island, the queen often commanded his attendance to dis*
course with him on what he had observed worthy of notice
in America. His agreeable and instructive conversation
engaged that discerning princess so much in his fsCvour,
that the rich deanery of Down in 'Ireland falling vacant/
he was at her desire named to it, and the king's letter
actually came over for his appointment. But hid friend
lord Burlington having neglected to notify the royal inten-
. 'tions in proper time to the duke of Dorset, then lord
lieutenant of Ireland, his excellency *was so offended at
this disposal of the richest deanery in Ireland,' withbut his
concurrence, that it was thought proper not to press the
matter any farther. Her majesty upon this declared, tliat
since they would not suffer Dr. Berkeley to be a dean in
Ireland, he should be a bishop : and accordingly, in 1733;*
the bishopric of Cloyne becoming vacant, he was by let-«
ters patent, dated March 17, promoted to that see, afid
was consecrated at St. Paul's church in Dublin, bn the*
19th of May following, byTheophilus archbishop of Cashel,
assisted by tlie bishops of Raphoe and Killaloe. His lord-
fihip repaired immediately to his manse-house at Cloyne,
where he constantly resided (except one winter that he
attended the business of parliament in Dublin) and applied
himself with vigour to the faithful discharge of all episco-**
pal duties. He revived in his diocese the useful office (stf
BERKELErY. €l
)nil9l»4eaii9 jivhiich h»d gone in^o disuse ;. visited frequently
|MtroiQhially ; and confirmed in several parts of hU see.
. AboijLt this time be. engaged in a controversy with the
mathematicians, whicb^ made a good deal of noise in the
literary wqrld y and the Qcicasion of it is said to haye been
thvs: Mr, Addison had, many years before this, given him
an account of theic common fiiend Dr. Garth's behaviour
in his last illness^, which was eqiially unpl easing to both
these advocates of revealed religion. For, when Addison
went to see the doctor, and began to discourse with hia|L
.seriously about another world, ^' Sorely, Addison,*' replied
jbie, ^^ 1 have good rqason not to believe those trifles, since
my friend J>r. Ha}ley, who has, dealt so much.jn den^on-
stratioD^ has assured me, that the doctrines of Christianity
are incomprelM^nsible? and.tbe religion itself an imposture.'*
The bishop, therefore, addressed to bim, as to an infidel
HULthematician,;, a discburse called the ^' Analyst ;" with a
view to show that mysteries in faith wer^ unjustly objected
jto by .mathematicians, who admitted much greater mys«
jteries, antd ^vqu falsehpods in scien.ce, of which he en-
deavoured to prove, that thie doctrine of fluxions furnished
a clear example. This attacl( gave, opcasion to a sniart
controversy upon the subject of fluxiqns; the principal an*
swers to the " Analys/' were \\ritten by a .person under
the name of Philalethes Ca^ntabrigiensis, generally sup-
posed to be Dr. Jurin, who published a piece entitled
"Geometry no friend, to Infidelity," 1734. , To this the
bishop rephed in ** A Defence of Freethinking in Mathe-
matics," 1735; which drew a second answer the same year
froqd Philalethes, styled " The minute Mathematician, or
the Freethinker no just thinker:'^ and .here the con^
troversy ended, and whatever fault mathematicians may
find in this hostile attempt .pf. our bishop, it must be ac-*
knowledged they have reaped no inponsiderable advantage
from it, inasmuph as it gave rise to the Treatise of Fluxions
by MaclauHn, in which the whole ^doctrine is delivered
with more precision and fulpess th^n ever w^s done before,
or probably than ever ^(vould have, been done;, if no attack
had been made upon it. ,
Qut the bishop, eyer active and attentive to the public
good, was continually sending forth liomething or other :
in 1735, the **. Querist;" in 1736, " A Discourse address-
.cd to Magistrates,'^ occasioned by the enormous licence
6« ^tJi%etZT%
wardir Of n ^citolUf kind. 1)1 1744^ dditibe feith his celebft&tei
and curiotts book^ (^ntit^d, << ^ts;. i dbaiil ait ^htlosofihi-
cal fdfl^fidns add inquiries oeiicirotfig the tittd^ of Tsfr
Watef :" at medict^e vi^ch hlid b^n^ ukeful Id Mths^lf in a
oa^e of iketfou^ 60lic^ This work^ he famsf ft^en beard tb
declare, cc^st htm t&6rd tkne and p^iiM than aifjr othef hfe
bad evef b^en engag^^ iA«r Itund^iWeRft a s^dnd itopr^^
aiony with addkioHs tftkl «iJiendatic>ii^) in 1747; and #a^
fotk>«^ed hf <« FMthtf dxoa^§ eH Tai^ Wilt^,'' ill l752f.
tr> July, the same y^#, b6 rdlfitated witb bi^ Md^ «f)d fe^
fK»iiy t^ Oxf^Jrd^ I^an^tity to' itipi^ifletid tbcf ^tduieaiio^ of bis
tOft, i)hd siibjeifift of tb6 foUo^ng dAtiolO) but chiefly €6
hidtrlge «be pa^ion for I^i^n^ retii^^iMfi V ^hteb tod eret
dtfofigiy p66^ett9«d biffi^ Md ^a^ oM df bill Hkf^es td foM
tbi^ Bermuda projeot. Aot t» liotie 6iHiid bd mf^re sdnsibte
ibM bis kydsbip of tbd iittprO^tftff)^ Of a bisbofi^^ n6i^<^
f^aidendef^ te pttViMiAf ^ndo^t^ol^ tcS^ d^obitifge bSs bigR
pt&ftrmtifit fdr sottid danoiMy €« btadshif^ ik6 OtfoiM. #ai(t-
ifig of succ«i^ ill tU^* h& aditidly Wfo^^ o«>^ to die flMr«^
ttfry a« sltftte^ t§ r^qu^Mi ttrit li« Ifiight hafd ^Mi^^fi <6
r^igiv Itii bii^^rte, imrtfr m tiat tiAie aft iMi^ f 4eo£ p<^
tfViMfnL So «n(:otiioioii H ]^i€iw ^HoilM his dha^^sty^
ifiirlKMsicy to iifiqtikd itbo W^¥ die exlTalerdindry Hnm diat
prrdfeiVed it : betn^ told tbit k t«>«^' bk old aeqliliitiliaftc^
By. Berk^%, bie d^toi^efd tlfot bd should di6 a bisbop id
Hfpke of hitaself^ but pt?ef him Ml liberty t6 reside vrh^re
te ^4iea^. t'h^l blidbbp's Idi» idt l^efoii^^ be tefi Gtoyiid
W^ t($ 61^ £ IddM^ of tbo dennifeM^r la^ds ifi Hbat THeigbbofir-'
h5od) t^ IM ^6M#ed^y^rty ki the r^tit 6f 2^0M: ^btch smxt
btt dir€f«liled fo be distributed- «V<ery ye^, Umii bi^ iiauTn,
among p^p' boiiieMk^epers of GbyAe, . Yoti^bftt; atid Ag-^
lAddft. The a«ftb6ir6f bi^ Kfebi ilb^ Bi6g, Btk. magnified hi*
love f6if f be beam^H o^ Gtoyiie, but ^bfe hM: was^ t^at &d
hiA ly^eif any idea of €Idytie Ha tt beaiitiftil jlitnatioft^ and
w^ are bap^y' W d)f^tw froi^ the same authority vidtich cor*
rects tbls^ ^tSfj som6 adcfiliona) partioulars tif Ms disiill-
tei'esfed lipirife^- He deelaik'ed t& Mf<s.' Berkeley/ toon aftef
be was advanced to the prelacy, tiii§ M» r^tolutioh watl
iievei* to obamg^' hisi sifee ; bfetausei a* be" afterwards con-
fessed fO the ^cbbitfhop' 6f Ti^am, afiid the late earl of
SbannoA, be hiid feYy tkA^ in bf6 got tte* world und^r
bk f^t)^ afid be^ b6ped to t^ampl^ on it to bi^ latest mro^
ment. These two warm friends liad boen pressing him to
B E R K £ Lr K je* o7
tlaaft of a tranriatiofi r 6at be did not love episcopal tfans^
latknr. He thought that they were sometimes really hurt-
M t6 individaatsy ind that they often gave, though uii-
jffistty, a bsndle to snspeet of medh views, an order to'
vbioh t^at holy atid humble oKin was himself an honour,
and to which it may be said, without adulation, that he
would faoLve been an honour in any age of the church.
Humble and imaspiri^ng as was the bishop of Cioyne, thef
•arl of Chesterfirid sought him oat ; and when, as a tribute
io exalted merit, that nobleman offered to liim tl e see of
Cb^bctf, wh^re be tipas told be might immediately receive
ines to the amount of tefi thousand pounds, he consulted
M». Berkdiay, as having a family, and, with her full ap-
Sd)aiwn, tior oniy declined the bishopric of Clogher^ but
e offer which accompanied that proposal, of any other
tramislatiofi wMcb might become feasible dufing lord Ches-
tetfieid^s administraition. The primacy wa^ vacated befbrd
the expirKOioi! of tbat peiiod« On tiiat occasion, the brsliop
said toMrif. Berk€kiy» *^ J desire to add one more to the
Ust oC ckuvchmewy who s»fe evidently dead to annbition and
asaiice*** tuit befcre tai# embarkation for America, queen
CflRrolnNir dndeav^dumd to sta^ge# his resolution, by the of-
fer ^f ajii> En^isfa mitre ^ bnt, in reply, he assured he^
tBn^emiyf ^lae he chose rather to be president of St. {'aul's
eoHege, tilati primate of all En^and.
At Oxford he lived highly respected, a^idf collected and
pfinted tk^ minfe year aft his smaller pieces in 8vo ; but he
diii«otli^0loi»g; fi>r, on Sunday evening, Jan. 14, 1753,
m)m w» in the HiMsl of his fiimily, listening to' the lesson
itttdie burkbl serm# wfaitoh his kdy was reading to hini, he
W9m seittdd with iirhat was called a palsy in the heart, and
inMMby ejipilred The accident wa» so smMen, that hi^
body waa cotd^ and bis^joifnts stiff, before it was discovered:
aa be lay upeo a ooueh, ^^ seeitted to be asleep, till his
daughMVy ewr pwimmitig him with a dish of tea, first per-
pntei^d ]Ai iii8e)itiifbili4^. His remains were interred at
CiMist eiMVeh, Osford, and there ^ an elegant marble
mmmamffb over bim^ wi^ an inscription by Dr. M arkham,
thM mttitev of Westminster sehool and late" archbishop of
York
Hm w klis pef80D> he was^ handsome, with a countenatitd
full of meaning and kindness, remarkable for sreat strength
of limbs f.. and, till his sedentary life impaired it, of a very
robust constitutions H* was^, howe«mr, often trotrbled with
64 BERKELEY.
the hypochondria^ and latterly with a nervous colic^ from
which he was greatly relieved by the virtues of bis favourite
tar-watefy which he brought into extensive use. It was
at one time a fashion to drink this medicine, to which
more virtues were attached than the good bishop had ever
thought of. When at Cloyne, he spent the mornings
< and often a great part of the day, in study ; and Plato,
from whom many of his notions were borrowed, was his
favourite author. The excellence of his mpral character is
conspicuous in his writings : he was certainly a very amia*
ble as well as a very great man. Atterbury dnce declared
that he did not think so much understanding, so much
knowledge, so much innocence, and so much humility, had
been the portion of any but angels, until he saw Mr*
Berkeley*
Dr. Berkeley has not been very fortunate in his bio*
graphers. An account of him was drawn up by his brother,
the Rev. Dr. Robert Berkeley, vicar-gener^ of Cloyne,
who died in 1787. This was first inserted in the Biog.
Britannica, and many mistakes pointed put, and additions
made to it in a subsequent volume of that work. Pre-
viously to this, in 1776, an ^^ Account of his' Life' ' was pub-
lished in a thin octavo volume, at London, which probably
was drawn up from family information. Of this a, second
edition was published in 1784, professedly ^' with improve-
ments,'* but the errors both of the first edition and of the
Biog. Brit, which had then appeared, are retained. . In
1784 a new edition of the bishop's entire works was pub-
lished at Dublin and London, 2 vols. 4to, with the octavo
life prefixed. The third vol. of the. Biog. Brit, contains
some important information from the bishop's widow (who
died 1786) and which we have endeavoured to incorporate.
It remains only to be noticed that the romance called the
*^ Adventures of Signor Gaudentio di Lucca,'' often attri*
buted to our author, wsis certainly not his production. ^
BERKELEY (George, LL. D. prebendary of Canter-
bury,) second son of the preceding, by Anne, eldest
daughter of the right hon. John Forste;:, a privy-counsellor
and speaker of the Irish house of commons, by Anne,
daughter to the right hon. John Monck, brother to tbe
duke of Albemarle, was born on the 98th of September
«
• « Biog. Brit. — Life, 8vo. 1784. — Gent*. May. See Index.-— Reid, Beattie, and
Mr. Dagatd Stewart in his late Essays (1810) have treated of Dr. Berkeley's
Metaphysics. -"-British Essayists, Pre^qe to the Ouardiaii.
B E R K E LEY. es
llSSf old style, in GrosTenor^street, Gro^venor-squam; tn
his infaDcy he was removed widi the family to Ireland^
where he was instructed in the classics by bis father only^
the bishop taking that part of the-education of his sons on
himself. Instructed in every elegant and useful aCcom*
plishment, Mr. Berkdey was, at d^ age of nineteen^ sent
over to Oxford ; his fadier leaving it to his own choice to
enter a gentleman commoner, ^Jier at Christ church or
St John^s college* But bishop Conybeare, then deaii of
Christ church, on his arrival offering him a student^ip in
that society, he accepted it, finding many of the students to
be gentlemen of the first character for learning and rank in
the kingdom. His first tutor was the late learned archbishop
pf York, Dr. Markham ; on whose removal to Westminister*
school, he put himself under the tuition of Dr. Smallwelb
afterwards bishop of Oxford. Having taken the degree of
B. A. he served the office of collector in the university, and
as he was allowed by his contemporaries to be an excellent
Latin scholar, his collector's speech was universally ad*
mired and applauded. In 1 758 he took a small living firom
his society, the vicarage of EastGarston, Berks, from which
be was removed, in 1759, by archbishop Sicker, hid sole
patron, to the vicarage of Bray, Berks ; of which he was
only the fifth vicar smce the reformatioo. In 1759, also,
he took the degree of M. A.«-*The kindness of archbishop
Seeker (who testified the highest respect for bishop Berke-
ley's oQieoioiy by his attention to his deserving son) did not
rest here ; he gave him also the chancellorship of Breck*
nock, the rectory of Acton, Middlesex,' md the sixth pre«
bendal stall in the churcli of Canterbury. In 1768 he had
taken the degree of LL. D. for which he went out grand
compounder, and soon afterwards resigned the rectory of
Acton. Some time after he had obtained the chanceUor*
diip of Brecknock, he put himself to rery considerable ex«
pence in order to render permanent two ten pounds per
annum, issuing out of liie estate, to two poor Welch cura-
cies. The vicamge of Bray he exchangied for that of
Cookham near Maidenhead, and had afterwards firom the
church of Canterbury the vicarage of East-Peckbifm, Kent^
whidi he rehnquished on obtaining' the' rectory of St de-
mentis Danes ; which with the vicarage of Tyshufst, Sus«
sex (to which he was presented by the church of Canter-
bury in 1792, when he vacated Cookham), and with the
chancellorship of Brecknock, he held till his death. * His
Vou V, F.
M /B E R K E LEY.
illness had been long and painful, but borne with exem*
plary resignation ;. and his death was so cairn and easy that
ao pang was observed, no groan was heard, by his attending
wife and relations. He •died Jan. 6, 1795, and was in*
terred in his father's voxdt in Christ church, Oxford. Not
long before his death, he expressed his warmest gratitude
to Mrs. Berkeley^ of whose affection he was! truly sensible,
and of whom he txM)k a most tender farewell. Dr. Berke-*
\ey\% quaUfications and attainments were such as occasioned
bis .death to be lamented by many. He was the charitable
divine,, the affectionate and active friend, the elegant scho«
Jar, the accomplished gentleman.. He possessed an exqui-
.4ite sensibility. To alleviate the sufferings of the sick and
needy, and to patronize the friendless, were employments
in which his heart and his hand ever co-operated. Jn the
pulpit his manner w.as animated^ and his matter forcible.
Ilis conversation always enlivened the social meetings
where he was present ; for he was equalled by few in affa-
bility of temper and address, in the happy recital of agree-
able anecdote, in the ingenious discussion of literary sub-
jects, or in the brilliant display of a lively imagination.
Dr. Berkeley published two or three single sermons ; one
of which, preached on the anniversary of king Charles's
martyrdom, 1785, entitled <^ The. danger of violent inno-
vations in the state, how specious soever the pretence,
exemplified from the reigns of the two first Stuarts^'' has
gone through six editions, the last in 1794 ; one on Good
Friday 1787; one at Cookham on the king's accession,
1789. His Sermon on the consecration of bishop Home
was not published until after his death. In 1799, his
widow published a volume of his. Sermons with a biogra-
phical'preface. He married, in 1761, Eliza> eldest. daugh-
ter and coheiress of the rev. Henry Finsham, M. A. by
Eliza, youngest daughter and one of the coheiresses of the
truly pious and learned Francis Cherry, esq. of Shottes-
brook-house in the county of Berks, by whom he had four
children, now no more. The la^e bishop Home, we maV
add, was one of Dr. Beti^eley's earliest and most intiAiaie
friends^ the loss of whom he severely felt, and of whom he
was used to speak with the sincerest respect ai^d the most
affectionate regards
This memoir^ we have some reason to think, was drawn
up for the preceding edition of this work, by his widow, a
Jady who claims some notice on her own account. She died
B K ft K E L E r. <7
at Kensington, Nov. 4, liBOO, leaving a character rather
difficult to appreciate. In 1797, she published th^ "Poenw'*
of her son George Monck Berkeley, esq. in a magnificent
quarto volume, with a very long, rambling preface of anec*'
dotes and remarks, amidst which she exhibits many traits
of her own character. She was unquestionably a lady of
considerable talents, but her fancy was exuberant, and her
petty resentmentii Were magnified into an importance visi-
ble perhaps only to herself. She had accumulated a stock
of various knowledge, understood French perfectly and
spoke it fluently. She likewise read Spanish and Hebrew,
and always took her Spanish Prayer*book with her to
church. This was but one of her peculiarities. In con-^
versatfon, as in writing, she was extremely entertaining,
except to those who wished also to entertain ; and her sto-
ries and anecdotes, although given in correct and .fluent
language, lost much of their effect, sometimes from lengthy
and sometimes from repetition. She had, however, a warm
friendly heart, amidst al} her oddities ; and her very nu-
merous contributions to the Gentleman's Magazine con-
tain no small portion of entertainment and information^
Her ^oUf the above-mentioned George Monck Berkeley^
published in 1789, an amusing volume of anecdote and
biography, under the title of " Literary Relics." *
BERKELEY (George Earl of) descended in a direct
Hne from Robert Fitzharding, who was of the royal house
of Denmark. He with his nephew, Charles Berkeley, had
the principal management of the duke of York's family,
and was one of the privy council in the reign of Charles IL
James IL and William IIL At the restoration he mani«
fested great loyalty for Charles IL and was advanced to the
dignity of viscount Dursley and earl of Berkeley in 1679.
One of his most munificent acts was his bestowing on the
public library of Sion college, a vahiable collection of
books formed by sir Robert Coke. He died Oct. 1 4^ 1698,
aged seve»ty*one, and was buried at Cranford in Middle-
sex. Lord Orford attributes to him, on good authority,
a curious and scarce work of the religious cast, entitled
** Historical applications and occasional meditations upon
several subjects. Written by a person of honour," 1^70,
12mo. In this book are several striking instances of the
testimony which some men of eminence have borne to the
' Dr. Berkeley's SennoDS.^'^eQt. Mag. 1795, 1800^ and 1792, p. 185.
F 3
48 BERKELEY.
importance of religious life, and the consolation to he re*
ceived from it, especially at the approach of death. Fen-
ton, in his observations on a short poem, prefixed to thid
work by Waller, says that his lordship was a person of
strict virtue and piety, but of such undistinguisbing affa-
bility to men of ^I ranks and parties, that Wycberley has
been supposed to have drawn his character of ^^ Lord PlaU'^
sible,'' in the Plain Dealer, from him ; a circumstaace that
cannot detract much from his lordship's reputation, for
Wycberley was a poor judge of men of " strict virtue and
piety." Beside^ the above work, of which a third editioii
appeared in 1680, lord Berkeley published, the same year^
V A speech to the Levant Company at their annual eiec«
tion, Feb. 9, 1680;'^
BERKELEY (Sir Robert), one of the justices of the
king's bench in the time of Charles L was born in 1 584,
the second son of Rowland Berkeley, esq. of Spetcbly in
Worcestershire, where his descendants yet live ; and was
by the female line, descended from Thomas Mowbray,
duke of Norfolk, who flourished in the reigns of Henry IV.
and V. In the 19 James L be served the office of high
sheriff for the county of Worcester ; in the 3d Charles I«
was made king's serjeant, and in the 8th of the same reign,
was made a justice. of the court of king's bench. WUle
in this ofEce, he, with eleven of his brethren, gave his
opinion in favour of ship-money ; and if we may judge
from the tenor of his conduct in private life, as well as
upon the bench, from honest motives ; but as be bad been
active on other occasions in what he seems to have thought
his duty, and was a man of fortune, he was singled out by
parliament as a proper object of their vengeance. . He waa
accordingly impeached of high treason, and adjudged to
pay a fine of 20,000/. to be deprived of his office of judge,
and rendered incapable of holding any place, or receiving '
any honour in the state or commonwealth : be was also to
be imprisoned in the Tower during the pleasure of the
house of lords. Having made some ^^satisfaction'' for his
fine to the parliament, he was by their authority, dis-^
charged from the whole, and set at liberty, after he had
been upwards of sev^i months in the Tower* But he af^
terwards suffered greatly by the plunderings and exactions
1 Park's edit, of the Royal and Noble Authors.— CoUiiM's Peera£e.^-<-Gnuiceiw
BERKELEY, e9
6f the rebels, and a little, before the battle of Worcester,
ibe Presbyterians, though' engaged in the king's service,
retained their ancient animosity against him, and burnt hi^
house at Spetchly to the ground. He afterwards cbnvert-
ed the stables into a dwelling-house, and lived with con-
tent, and even dignity, upon the wreck of his fortune. He
was a true son of the church of England, and suffered more
from the seduction of his only son Thomas to the church of
Rome, at Brussels, than from all the calamities of the civil
war. He died Aug. 5, 1656.*
BERKELEY (Sir William), a native of London^ was
the youngest son of sir Maurice Berkeley, and brother of
John lord Berkeley of Stratton. He was elected proba«
tioner fellow of Merton college, Oxford, in 1625, and four
years after was admitted M. A. In 1630, he set out on his
travels, where he seems to have acquired diat knowledge
which fitted him for public business, and on his return, be<-
came gentleman of the privy-chariiber to Charles L lu
1646, he went on some commission to Virginia, of which
province he had afterwards the government. He mvited
many of the royalists to retire thither as a place of security,
and hinted in a letter to king Charles 1. that it would not
be an unfit place as a retreat for his majesty ; depending,
perhaps, more upon the improbability of its being attacked,
than on its means of defence. Virginia, however, was not
long a place of safety ; the parliament sent some ships with
a small force, who took possession of the province vdthout
difficulty, 9,nd removed sir Wiliiatn Berkeley from the go-
vernment, but suffered him to remain unmolested upon his
private estate. In 1660, on the death of colonel Matthews,
in consideration of h}s ^^vices, particularly in defending
the English from being killed by the natives, and- in de«-
stiroying great numbers of the Indians without losing three of
his own men, he was again made governor, and continued in
that office un^il i;676, whep be returned to England, after
an absence of thirty years. He died the following year^
md was buried July 13, in the parish church of Twicken«-
fcom. His wtitings iare, ^ The Lost Lady," a tntgi-^comedy^
liond. 163^, fol. and, as the editor of the Biog. Dram«
tkiMts, another p)ay called <^ Cornelia," 1662, not printed
biA aderibedrte a * ^^ sir Williatti B^ftley.*' l^e mote aJs6 a
» ■ • • *
• Granger's Biog. and letters by Malcolm, p. 217, 253— 261 .^Peck's J)e»
70 B E R K E L E ¥•
V Description of Virginia,'* fol. In Francis Moryson's edi-*
tion of " The Laws of Virginia," Lond. 1662, fol. the pre-
face informs us that sir William was the author of the best
of them. *
BERKENHOUT (Dr. John), an English miscellaneous
writer, was born, about 1730, at Leeds in Yorkshire, and
educated at the grammar-school in that town. His father^
who was a merchant, and a native of Holland, intended him
for trade ; and with that view sent him at an early age to
Germany, in order to learn foreign languages. After con-
tinuing a few years in that -country, be made the tour of
Europe in company with, one or more English noblemed.
On their return to Germany they visited Berlin, where
Mr. Berkenhout met with a near relation of his father's,
the baron de Bielfeldt, a nobleman then in high estimation
with the late king of Prussia ; distinguished as one of the
fountlers of the royal academy of sciences at Berlin, and
universally known as a politician and a man of letters.
.With this relation our young traveller fixed his abode for
some time ; and, regardless of bis original destination, be-
came a cadet in a Prussian regiment of foot. He soon ob-
tained an ensign's commission ; aud, in the space of a few
years, was advanced to the rank of captain^ He quitted
the Prussian service on the declaration of war between
England and France in 1756, and was honoured with the
command of accompany in the service of his native coun-
try. When peace was concluded in 1760, he went to
Edinburgh, and commenced student of physic. During
his residence at that university he compiled his ^^ Clavid
Anglic^ l^ihguas Botanicae ;" a book of singular utility to
all students of botany, and at that time the only botanical
lexicon in our language, and particularly expletive of the
Linnsean system. It wis not, however, published until
1765.
Having continued some years at Ediqburgb, Mr. Ber-
Jienhout went to the univer^ty of Leyden^ where he topk
the degree of doctor of physic, in 1 765, as w^ learn from his
y Ditsertatio medica inauguralis de Podagra," dedicated to
)iis relation baron de BielfeUt. Returning to England,
J>r. Berkenhout settled at Islewortb in Middlesex, and in
1766, published his '^Pharoiacopoeia Medici," 12mo, the
third edition of which was printed in 1782. In 1769, he
> Aili. On, II. 5$6.— •Bi9|. ])iaBU-**Lj«oiui'B JBattifOB^ vol. IIK
BERKENHOUT.. 71;
publisked '< Oatliries of the Natural ill$tory of Great Bri-
tain and Ireland, vol. I.; vol. 11. appeared in 1770, and vol.
III. in 1771. The encourageiQent this work met with af«
forded at least a proof that ' something of the kind was
wanted. The three volumes were reprinted together in
1773, and in 1783 were again published in 2 vols. 8vo,
under the title of ** Synopsis of the Natural History of
Great Britain, &c.^' In t771, he published *^ Dr. Cado*
gan's dissertation on the Gout, .examined and routed ;'*
and in 1777, ^^ Biographia Literaria, or a Biographical.
History of Literature; containing the lives of English,
Scotch, and Irish authors, from the dawn of letters in these,
kingdoms to the present time, chfonologically apd cift^-
sically arranged," 4to, vol. I. the only volume whiclvap-
peared. The lives are v«ry short, and the author frequently
introduces sentiments hostile to. religious establistiments.
and doctrines, which could not be very acce{>table to Eng-
lish readers. The dates and facts, however, are given.
with great accuracy, and in many of the Uves> he profited;
by the assistance of George Steeveus, esq. the celebrated
commentator on Shakspeare. This was followed by "A
treatise on Hysterical Diseases, translated from the French.^'
In 1778, he wajs sent by governmeift with certain com«
niissioners to treat with America, but neither the commis-
sioners nor their secretary were suffered by the congress
to proceed further thjan New- York. Dn* Berkenhout, how-
ever, found means to penetrate as fai: as Philadelphia,
where the congress was then assembled. He appears to
have remained in that city for some time without molesta-^
tion ; but at last on suspicion that he was, sent by lord
North for the purpose of tampering with spme of their
leading members, he was seized and committed to prison.
How long he remained a state prisoner, or by what means
he obtained his liberty, we are not informed ; but we find
from the public prints, that he rejoined the commissioners
at New York, and returned with them to England. — For
this temporary sacrifice of the emoluments of his profes-
sion, and in consideration of political services, he obtained
a pension. In 1780, he published his '^ Lucubrations oa
Ways and Means, inscribed to lord North," proposing cer*
tain taxes, some of which were adopted by that minister,
and some afterwards by Mr. Vuu Dr. Berkenhout^s friends
at that time appear to have taken some pains to point tuoi
Ottt as ap inventor of taxes. His n^t work was ^^ An^ essay
i2 B EB K E N H O U T.
oil th^ Bite of & Mad Dog, in wluch the claim to infalli-*
bility of the principal preservative remedies against the
Hydrophobia is examined.'' In the year following Dr.
Berkenhout published his ^* S}rmptomau)logy ;'' a book
which is too universally known to require any recommenda-
tion. In 1798, appeared ^^ First lines of the theory and
practice of Philosophical Chemistry," dedicated to Mn
Eden, afterwards lord Auckland, whom the doctor accom-
panied to America. Of this book it is sufficient to say^
that it exhibits a satis&ctory display of the present state
of chemistry. His la;st publication was *^ Letters on Edu*
cation, to his son at Oxford,'' 1791, 2 vols. 12mo; but in
17^^^ 9, he published a continuation of Dr. Campbell's
•* Lives of the Admirals," 4 vols. 8vo ; and once printed
^ Proposals for a history of Middlesex, including London,'*
4 vols. fol. ^ which, as the design dropt, were never circu-
lated. There is also reason to suppose him the author of
certain humorous publications, in prose and verse, to which
he did not think fit to prefix bis name, and of a translation
from the Swedish language, of the celebrated count Tes***
sin's letters to the late king of Sweden. It is dedicated to^
the prince of Wales, his present majesty of Great Britain ;
and was, we believe, Mr. Berkenhout's first publication^
He died the 3d of April 1791, aged 60.
When we reflect on the variety of books that bear his
name, we cannot but be surprised at the extent and va*
riety of the knowledge they contain. He was originally
intended for a merchant; thence his knowledge of the
principles of commerce. He was some years in one of the
best disciplined armies in Europe ; thence his knowledge
of the art of war. His translation of count Tessin's Letters
shew him to be well acquainted with the Swedish language^
and that he is a good poet His Pharmacopoeia Medici,
&c. demonstrate his skQl in his profession. His Outlines
of Natural Histoiy, and his Botanical Lexicon, prove hia
knowledge in every branch of natural history. His FirsI
Unes of Philosophical Chemistry have convinced the worI4
ef his intimate acquaintance with that science. His essay
en Ways and Means proves him well acquainted with the
system of taxation. All his writings prove him to have
been a classical scholar, and it is known that the Italianji
French, German, and Dutch languages were fiimiliar to
him. He was morepver a painter ; i^nd played ^ell^ it is^
' l^ 6h yarious musical instruqien^ To theffa aG<|iiiHft^
BEttKEKIlOtJT. ii
jnenti may he added, a cofirid^able degree bf matke^^
matical knowledge, which he Attained in the coarse of hit
Inilitaty studies. An individual so univer^Uy informed as
Dr. Berkenbout, is an extraordinary appearance in the re«
public of letters.-^Iil this chani<;ter, whioh, we believe^
was published in his life-time, there is the evident hand of
a friend. Dr. Berkenhout, however, itiay be allowed to
have been an ingenious and well-informed man, but as an
liuthor he ranks among the useful, rather than the original;
and the comparisons of his friends between him and the
** admirable Chrichton** are, to say the least, highly inju-*
dicious.'
BERNARD (St.) one of the most, if not the most dis«
doguished character of the twelfth century, was born at
Fountaine, a village of Burgundy, in 1091, and was the
son of Tecelinus, a military nobleman, renowned for what
was then deemed piety. His mother, Aleth,- who has the
same character, had seven children by her husband, of
whom Bernard was the third. From his infancy he was
devoted to religion and study, and made a rapid progress
in the learning of the times. He took an early resolution
to retire from the world, and engaged all his brothers, and
several c^his friends in the same monastic views with him«
self. The most rigid rules were most agreeable to his in-
clination, and hence he became a Cistertian, the strictest
of the orders in France, The Cistertians were at that time
but few in number, men being discouraged from uniting*
with them on account of their excessive austerities. Ber-
nard, however, by his superior genius, his eminent piety, and
his ardent zeal, gave to this order a lustre and a celebrity^'
^hich their institution by no means deserved. At the age
of twenty -three, with more than thirty companions, he
entered, into the monastery. Other houses of the ordet*
arose soon ;|fter, and he himself was appointed abbot of
Clairval. To those noviciates who desired admission, hd
used to say, ^*If ye hasten to those things which are with*
in, dismiss your bbdies, which ye brought from the world ;
let the spirits alone enter; the flesh profiteth nothing.'*
Yet Bernard gradually learned to correct the barshnes*
and asperity of his sentiment;s, and while he preached
mortification to bis disciples, led them on with more mild*-'
1 Contdaed fraw ^ Tery erroaeoiks acoovnt in the last «(Uti<Ni of Uim 9jiik»
tjofMnr.— >£iUrQpc«|i 24t||;»zine^. naS«<^eot« Mai;;. Tol. LXI^
?♦ BERNARD.:.
ness and cleisency than he exercised towards bnaself^ > Foi$
some time he injured his own Jiealth exceedingly; by aus-r
terities, and, as he afterwards confessed, threw a^stujrnbliug
block in the way of the weak, by exacting of them a de«
gree of perfection, which he himself had not att^in^d. Afn
ter be had recovered from these excesses, he began to
exert himself by travelling and preaching from place to
place, and such were his powers of eloquence, or the cha*
racter in which he was viewed, that he soon acquired an
astonishing prevalence, and, his word became a law to
princes and nobles. His eloquence, great as it was, was
aided in the opinion of his hearers by his sincerity and
humility, and there can be no doubt that his reputation for
those qualities was justly founded* He constantly refused
the highest ecclesiastical dignities, among which the
bishoprics of Genoa, Milan, and Rheims, niay be instaqced,
although his qualifications were indisputable. Such was
his influence, that during a schism which happened in the
church of Rome, his authority determined both Louis VI.
king of France and Henry I. king of England, to support
the claims of Innocent II., one instance, among many, to*
prove the ascendancy he had acquired. Yet sdthough no
potentate, civil or ecclesiastical, possessed such real
power as he did, in the Christian world, and though he
stood the highest in the judgment of all men, he remained
in his own estimation the lowest, and referred all he did
to divine grace.
. His 'power, however, was not always employed to the
best purposes. The crusade of Louis VII. was supported
by Bernard's eloquence, who unhappily prevailed to draw
numbers to join that monarch in his absurd expedition,
which was, in its consequences, pregnant with misery and
ruin. In his dispute with the celebrated Abelard, he ap.«
pears more in character. At a council called at Soissons
in 1121, Abelard was] charged with tritheispi, and with
having asserted, that God the father was alone Almighty.
He was ordered to burn his books, and to recite the sym-
bol of Athanasius, with all which he complied, and was set
at liberty : but it was long after this before Bernard took
?ny particular notice of Abelard, having either heard little
of the controversy, or not being called upon to deliver hia
sentiments. Abelard, however, notwithstanding his re*
tractations, persevered in teaching his heresies; and it be-
came^ at lengthy impossible for his errors to escape the
BEEN A R a IS
observation of the abbot of Clairval. Having stadied the
subject, his first step was to admonish Abelard in a private
conference, but finding that that had no effect, he opposed
hioi in some of his writings, on which Abelaifd challenged
him to dispute the matter at a solemn assembly which was
to be held at the city of Sens in 1140. Bernard was at
first ynwilling to stibmit these important doctrines to a de*
cision which was rather that of personal talent, than of de*
liberative wisdom, and would have declined appearing,' had
not his friends represented that his absence might injure
the cause. He accordingly met his antagonist, and began*
to open the case, when Abelard very unexpectedly put an
end to the matter by appealing to the pope. Bernard, who
afterwards wrote to the same pope an account of Abelard's
conduct, very justly blames him for appealing from judges
whom he had himself chosen. Notwithstanding this ap«*
peal, however, Abelard's sentiments were condemned, and
the pope ordered his books to be burned, and himself con^
fined in some monastery ; and that of Cluni being chosen,
he remained in it until his death about two years after.
The next opponent of consequence with whom St. Ber-
nard had to contend, was Gilbert de Porr6e, bishop of Poio*
tiers. The errors attributed to Gilbert, arose from cer-
tain metaphysical subtleties, which induced him to deny,
the incarnation of the divine nature ; but these refined no-
tions being above the comprehension of St. Bernard, he
opposed them with great vehemence in the council of Pa^
ris, 1147, and in that of Rheims, 1148: but in this latter
council Gilbert, in order to put an end to the dispute^ of<«
fered to submit his opinions to the judgment of the assemh
biy, and of the Roman pontiff, by whom they were con«*
demned. Towards the end of his days, Bernard was cho«
sen to be mediator between the people of Mentz and some
neighbouring princes, whom he reconciled with his usual
skill. On his return, he fell sick of a weakness tin his sto«
macb, and died Aug. 20, 1153, leaving nearly one hun-»
dred and sixty monasteries of his order^ founded by his
care.
Bernard has had the fate of most of the eminent charac*
ters during the early ages of the church, to be excessively
applauded by one party, and as much and as unjustlyvde-
preciated by the other. Of his austerities and his mura*
cles, little nptice need be now taken. The former he was
himself willing to allow ^ere unjuttifiable, and the latter
M BERNARD.
wrt probably tlie forgeries of a period later than hn owh.
In his conduct as well as his writings we see many intole«
tant prejudices and much superstition ; a strong predilec-
tion for the Roman hierarchy, and particularly for the mo-
oaitjc character On the other t^ind^ although his learn«
ing was but moderate, he could have been no ordinary man
idio attained such influence, not only over public opinion^
but over men of the highest rank and power ; and he has
Wen praised by the proteatant writers for deviating in many
respects from the dogmas of the popish religion, and main-
taining some of those essential doctrines which afterwards
0tfca0ipned a separation between the two churches. He
denied transubstantiation, allowed of only two sacraments,
atid placed salvation on the imputation of Christ's righ-
teousness, denying all. works of supererogation, &c. As to
bis talents, one of his nK>dern biographers allows that his
style was lively and florid, his thoughts noble and inge«
nious, bis imagination brilliant, and fertile in allegories.
He is. full of sensibility and tenderness, first gains the mind
by a delicate and insinuating manner, then touches the
hteirt with force and vehemence. The Holy Scripture was
so familiar to this writer, that he adopts its words and ea;«
pressions in almost every period and every phrase. St
Bernard's sermons are consideled as ma^ter^-pieces (^ sen-
timent and force. Henry de Valois preferred them to all
those of the ancients, whether Greek or Latin. It appears
that he preached in. French; that monks who were not
learned assisted at his conferences, and that Latin was then
not understood by the people* His Sermons are to be
seen in old French at the library of the fathers Fuillautines,
me St. Honor6 at Paris, in a MS. which is very near St
Bemard^s time; and the council of Tours, held in the year
8 IS, ordered the bishops when they dehvered the homi-
lies of the fathers, to translate them from Latin into iMn-*
gws rofimicey that the people might understand them;
This proves -that it was the custom to preach in French
long before the time of St. Bernard. The best edition of
the works of St. Bernard, who is regarded as the last of
the fathers, is that of Mabiilon, .2 vols. 1690, fol. the first
gf which contains such pieces as are undoubtedly Bernard's;
Those in the second volume are not of equal authoritjr^
Besides. the lives pre&xed to this- edition by tariduis writers,
there are three separate lives,^ one byiLemaistDe^ Paris^
1649, 8iro} anodier by ViUefore> i70#, ^to^ aad« third
BERNARD. n
hy Clemenoet, 1773, 4to» which is usufltty cotuidiered a9
tdie^tbiiteenth Tolatne of the litecayy hiatoryr of Fcaace. ^
BERNARD of MENTHON, a monk in the tenth cen**
tiiry^ who was born in the year 923, in the neigMniurheod
of Anneoy, of one of the most illuitrioos howes of SaFoy,
vendered hims^ not more celebrated in the annais of Yeli*
g^on than of benevolence, by two hospitable establishmeoti
which he formed, and where, for nine hundred y^ears, tim«
▼eilers ha^e found reUef from the dangers of passing tbo
Alps in the severe part of the season. Bernard, iii»
BQenced by pious lnati1^e8 and a love of study, refused in
his early years a proposal of marriage to which his panento
attached great importance, and embraced the ecctoiaatieal
life. He afterwards was promoted to be archdeacon of
Aoste, which includes the places of official and grand^vacary
and consequtently gave him considerable weigbt in the go**
vernment of the diocese. This he employed in the lauda-
ble purposes of converting the wretched inhabitants of the
neighboaring' mountains, who were idolaters, and made
very great progress in ameliorating their manners, as well
as reUgious opinions. Affected at the same time with tite
dangers and hardships sustained by the French and G«»*
man pilgrims in travelling to Rome, be resolved to build
on the summit of the Alps two^Aflsptifia, or hotels, for their
reception, one on mount Joux (nions Jovis, so called frsoin
a temple of Jupiter erected there), and the other, the co-
kumade of Jove, so called from a colonnade or series ci
upright stones placed on the snow to point out a safe track.
These places of reception- were afterwards called, and are
still known by the names of the Great and Little St. Ber*
nard. The care of them the founder entrusted to regular
caiwBs of the order of St. Augustin, who have continued
without interruption to our days, each succession of monks
during this long period, zealously performing* the duties of
hospitality according to the benevolent intentions of St.
Bernavd. The situation is the most inhospitabb isy nature
tbat can be conceived ; e»en in spring, the cold is extreme;
and the whole is covered with snow or ice, whose appear-
ances are vatied only^ by storms and douds. Their prin-^
dpal monastery on Gveat St. Bernard, is probably the
highest habitation ill Europe, being two thousand five hun*»
•
* Dupin. — MosbetiD.— Milner's Church Hiftory.^-Morert, — Saxii Onomast.
— CaTe.— Freytag^s Adparatus Ltttenrins.— Fabric. Bibl. M^d. et lofim. I^tia.
— BhUmt's iJTM of the Saiotd, fco.
78- BERN A K D,
dred toises above the sea. Morning and eremitg their
dogs, trained for the purpose, trace out the weary and
perishing traveller, and by their means, many lives are
!taved, the utmost care being taken to recover them, event
i^hen recovery seems most improbable. After thus esta-^
blishing these hospitia, Bernard returned to his itinerant
labours among the neighbouring countries until his death.
May 28,' 1008. The Boilandists have publishjed, with notes,
two authentic lives of St. Bernard de Menthon, one written
by Richard, his successor in the archdeaconry of Aoste, by
which it appears that he was neither a Cistertian, nor of
ftbe regular canons, as some writers have asserted. The
two hosfHtals possessed considerable property in Savoy, of
which they were deprived afterwards, but the establish-
ment still subsists, and the kind and charitable duties of it
have lately been performed by secular priests. ^
BERNARD (Andr£W), successively poet laureate of
Henry VII. and VIII. kings of England, was a native of
Tholouse, and an Augustine monk. By an instrument in
Rymer's Foedera, Vol. XII. p. 317, pro Poeta laureate^
dated 1486, the king grants to Andrew Bernard, poeta lau-
reatOj which, as Mr. Warton remarks, we may construe
either ^' the laureated poet," or "a poet laureat,*' a sa-
lary of ten marks, until he can obtain some equivalent ap-^
pointment. He is also supposed to have been the royal
historiographer, and preceptor in grammar to prince Ar-
thur. All the pieces now to be found, which be wrote in
tiie character of poet laureat, are in Latin. Among them
are, an ** Address to Henry VIIL for the most auspicious
beginning of the tenth year of his reign," with " An epi-.
thalamium on the Marriage of Francis the dauphin of
France with the king's daughter." These were formerly
in the possession of Mr. Thomas Martin of Palgrave, the-
antiquary ; « A New Year's gift for 1615," in fiie library
of New college, Oxfor^i ; and " Verses wishing pros-,
perity to his IN^jesty's thirteenth year," in the British mu*
seum. He has also left some Latin hymns, a Latin life of
St. Andrew, and many Latin prose pieces, which he wrote
as historiographer to both monarcbs, particularly a ^^ Chro-:
nicle of the life and achievements of Henry VII. to the
taking of Perkin Warbeck," and other historical commen-
taries on the reign of that king^, which are all in the Cot-
1 Biog. Unirerselle;-*Dict. Hist.
E £ a N A R D. 79
toiiian hbnu-yr Hfe was living iii 1522, but is not men-
lioned by Bale, Pits*, or Tanner. ^
BERNARD (Catharine), of the academy of the Ricov-
rati of Padua, was born at Rouen, and died at Paris in
17 12, She acquired some poetical fame, her works being
'several times crowned by the French academy, and that of
the Jeux fioraux. Two of her tragedies were represented
9ttbe French theatre, <^ Laodamia," in 1689, and ^^ Bru-
tus'^ in 1690. It is thought* she composed these pieces
conjointly with Fontenelle and the two Corneilk's, who
were her relations. She wrote also some other poems with
ease and delicacy. Some distinction is set upon her po«
etical petition, which has some wit, to Louis XIV. to ask
for the 200 crowns, the annual gratification given her by
that prince ; it is inserted in the ^' Recueil de vers choisi»
du pere Boubours.- ' She discontinued writing for th€^
theatre at the instance of madame de Pont-Chartrain, who
gave her a pension. She even suppressed several little
pieces, which might have given a bad impression of her
manners and religion^ Three romances are likewise as-
cribed to her: " The count d'Amboise," in 12mo ; " The
miseries of Love;*' and " Ines of Cordova," 12mo. Some
of the journalists have attributed to mademoiselle Bernard
the account of the isle of Borneo, and others to Fontenelle.
'' It may .be doubted," says the abb6 Trublet, ^< whether
it be her& ; and it is to be wished that it is not.*' It is ai)
allegorical account of the religious disputes of that period.
Beauchamps says she wrote the tragedy of ^^Bradamante,**
represented in 1695, which is certainly the same with that in
the workft of Thomas Corneille. Her Eloge is in the ^' His*
toire du Theatre Franjois.*' *
BERNARD (Charles), king*s counsellor, and histo-
riographer of France, was born at Paris Dec. 25, 1S7I,
and died in 1640. The chief part: of bis labours were di»
recied to the history o£ France ; on which he wrote, l.^^La
Conjunction des mers,'* .on the junction of the ocean with
the Mediterranean by the Burgundy canal, 1613, 4to. 2.
^' Discours surPetat des Finances," Paris, 1614, 4to. 3.
*^ Histoire: des. guerres de Louis XIII. centre les religion-
naires rebelles,'* ibid. ,1633, fol. ^ Of this only about three
dozen copies if ere printed, but the whole was afterwards
■ . ■ "• ■ "
* Warton's Hut oF Poetry* vol. II. p. 132— Malone's lAU of Drsrden, toL I.
8 Diet Hill,— Biog. Urilv«rsclle.— Moreri.
$9 BERNARD.
iuserted in bis history of Louis XIII. 4. ^' Csrte g^nealo^
gique de la royale maison de Bourbon, avec des Elogei
des princes, &c," ibid. 1634, foi. and 1646, under the title
9f ^^ Genealogie de la inaisoii de Bourbon." 5. ^* Hiatoire
de Louis XIII. jusqu'a. la guerre declare eontre les Efi«
pagnols, avec un Discours sur la vie de I'auteur,'^ ibid«
) 6i6, fol. Thi« account of the life of the author was writ^
ten by Charles Sorel, hk nephew, who also continued the
work down to 1643. The abbe de Gendre says that Ber«
Hard is deiiciejit both in style and taste^ dealing too much
in trifles and digressions, and too prolix in his descrip*
tions of work/B of architecture, as well as in eoaimon-plac9
leflections. He allows, however, that he gives a good ac-
count of fuiUtary affairs, and developes ;wtth great skill the
intrigues ^f the court, with which he had a good oppoftu^
nity of being acquainted. ^
JttERNARD <Clau0£), called Father Bernard, or the
Poor Pri^t, was horn December 26, 1 5d8, at Dijon, son
of Stephen Bernard, lieut-geu. of Cbilons^sur^Saone. He
had a livdly imagination and wit^ which,, joined to a jovial
temper, adade hiOL a weLcome guest in all gay" companies^
Going to Paris with M. de Bellegarde, governor of D^on^
he gave hiodself up to public amusements, and aU the va-
nities of the ^e, making it hia businc^ss to act comedies foir
the diversion of such persons of quality as he was ac-
quainted with ; but jat length he grew disgusted with the
world, and devoted himself wholly to relieving and tqm^
forting the poor. He assisted them by his charities and
f^hortatipus to the end c^ his days, with incoredible fervour,
stopping ami humbhog himself to do the meanest ofiicea
for them. Father Bernard having persisted in refusing all
the benefices .offered him by the court, cardinal Richelieu
told him pne day, that he absolutely insisted on his askings
him £pr spjfnething, and left him alone to consider of it.
When the qardioal returned half an hour after, Bernard
Qaid, ^^ Alonseigneur, after much study, I have at last
found put a favour to ask of yau ; When I attend any suf-
ferers to the gibbet to assist them in their last moments,
we are carried in a cart with so bad a bottom, th&t we are'
^very moment in danger of falling to the ground. Be
pleased^ therefore, JMonseigneur, to order that some bet-^
ter boards may be put to the cart'* Cardinal Richelieu
> Biof • UaiTenelle^-^Le Umg'B Bibl. Hist, de la Fnncer
BERNARD; 84
laughed heattily at this request, and gave orders directly
ibftt the cart should be thoroughly repaired. Father Ber«
oard was ever ready to assist the unhappy by his good of-
6ces, for which purpose he one day presented a petition to
a nobleman in place, who being of a very hasty temper^
flew into a violent passion, and said a thousand injurious
things of the person for whom the priest interested bimselfi
but Bernard still persisted in his request ; at which the no-*
bleman was at last so irritated, 'that he gave him a box on
the ear. Bernard immediately fell a\ his feet, and, pre-
senting the other ear, said, *' Give me a good blow on
this also, my lord, and grant my petition." The noble-
man was so aifected by this apparent humility as to grant
Bernard's request. He died March 23, 164K The French
clergy had such a veneration for hi ft) as often to solicit that
he might be enrolled in the calendar of saints. In 1639
he founded the school of the Thirty-three, so called from
the number of years our Saviour passed on earth, and a
very excellent seminary. Immediately after his death ap-
peared " Le Testament du reverend pere Bernard, et ses
pens€es pieuses,'* Paris, 1641, 8vo, and " Le Recit dea
choses arriv^es k la mort du rev. pere Bernard," same year.
The abb^ Papillon also quotes a work entitled ** Entretiena
pendant sa demiere maladie." His life was written by se-
veral authors, by LegauflFre, Giry, de la Serre, Gerson,
and Lempereur the Jesuit. This last, which was published
at Paris, 1708, 12mo, is too full of visions, revelations, and
miracles, to afford any just idea of Bernard. ^
BERNARD (Edward), a learned critic and astronomer,
was born at Perry St Paul, commonly called Pauler*s Perry,
near Towccster in Northamptonshire, the 2d of May 1638,
He received some part of his education at Northampton ;
but his father dying when he was very young, his mother
sent hitti to an uncle in London, who entered him at Mer-
cbant-taylors-school, in 1648 : here he continued tilljune
1655, when he was elected scholar of St. John's college in
Oxford, of which also he became afterwards fellow. Du«
ring his stay at school, he had accumulated an uncommon
fund of classical learning, so that when he went to the uni**^
versity, he was a great master of the Greek and Latm
tongues, and not unacquainted with the Hebrew. He had
Also previously acquirea a good Latin style, could compose
* tvfocai.'^h'iog. Unir.— MarcbaatU
Vol. V. G
82 BERNARD.
verses weHy and often used to divert himself with writing
epigrams, hut he quitted these juvenile employments when
at the university, and appUed himself to history, philology,
and philosophy, and made himself master of the Hebrew,
Syriac, Arabic, and Coptic. He applied himself next to
the mathematics, under the famous Dr. J. Wallis^ He
took the degree of B. A. Feb. the 12th, 1659 ; that of mas-
ter, April 16, 1662 ; and that of B. D. June 9, 1668. De-
cember following he went to Leyden, to consult several
Oriental manuscripts left to that university by Joseph Sca-
liger and Levinus Warner, and especially the 5th, 6th, and
7th books of ApoUonius PergaBus's conic sections; the
Greek text of which is lost, but which are preserved in the
Arabic version of that author. This version had been
brought from the East by James Golius, and was in the
possession of his executor, who, pleased that Mr. Bernard's
chief design in coniing to Holland was to examine this ma-
nuscript, allowed him the free use of it. He accordingly
transcribed these three books, with the diagrams, intend-
ing to publish them at Oxford, with a Latin version, and
proper commentaries ; but was prevented from completing
this design. Abraham Echellensis had published a Latin
translation of these books in 1661, and Christianus Ravius
gave another in 1669 : but Dr. Smith remarks, that these
two ^authors, though well skilled in the Arabic language,
were entirely ignorant of the mathematics, which made it
regretted that Golius died while he was preparing that
work fdr the^press ; and that Mr. Bernard, who understood
both the language and the subject, and was furnished with
all the proper helps for such a design, was abandoned by
his friends, though they had before urged him to under*
take it. It was, however, at last published by Dr. Halley
in 1710.
At his return to Oxford, be examined and collated the
most valuable inanuscripts in the Bodleian library ; which
induced those who published ancient authors, to apply to
him for observations or emendations, which he readily im-
parted, and by this means became engaged in a very ex-
tensive correspondence with the learned in most countries.
In 1669, the celebrated Christopher Wren, Saviiian pro-
fessor of astronomy at Oxford, having been appointed sur-
veyor-general of his majesty's works, and being much de-
tained at London by this employment, obtained leave to
j^ame a deputy at Oxford^ and pitched upon Mr. Bernard^
B E R ]!if A R D. 83
which obliged the latter to confine his application more
particularly to the study of astronomy. In 1 672, the mas-
ter and fellows bf his college presented him to the rectory
of Cbeame in Surrey ; and February following, Dr. Peter
Mews> the master, being advanced to the bishopric of Bath
and Wells, appointed Mr. Bernard one of his chaplains*
But the following xyear he quitted all views of preferment,
by accepting the Savilian professorship of astronomy, va-
cant by the resignation of sir Christopher Wren ; for, by
the statutes of the founder, sir Henry Savile, the profes**
sors are not allowed to hold any other office either eccle«
siastical or civil.
About this time a scheme was set on foot at Oxford, of
collecting and publishing the ancient mathematicians. Mr.
Bernard, who had first formed the project, collected all
tiie books published on that subject since the invention of
printing, and all the M88. he could discover in the Bod-
leian and Savilian libraries, which he arranged in order of
time, and according to the matter they contained. Of this
he drew up a synopsis or view, which he presented to
bishop Fell, a great encourager of the undertaking. This
was published by his biographer, Dr. Thomas Smith, at
the end of his life. As a specimen, Mr. Bernard published
also a'few sheets of Euclid, in folio, containing the Greek
text, and a Latin version, with Proclus's commentary in
Greek and Latin, and learned scholia and corollaries. H«
undertook also an edition of the *^ Parva syntax is Alexan-
drine;*' in which, besides Euclid, are contained the small
treatises of Theodosius, Autoiycus, - Menelaus, Aristarchus,
and Hipsicles : but it was never published. In 1676, he
was sent to France by Charles IL to be tutor to the dukes
of Grafton and Northumberlajid, natural sons of the king,
by the duchess of Cleveland, with whom they then lived
at Paris 'j but the plainness^ and simplicity of his manners
nbt suiting the gaiety of the duchess's family, he continued
with them only one year, when he returned to Oxford :
having reaped however the advantage, during his stay at *
Paris, of becoming acquainted with most of the learned
men in that city, particularly Justel, Huet, MabiHon,
Quesnel, Dacier, Renaudot, and others.
Upon his return to the university, he applied himself to
his' former studies*, and though, in conformity to the obli-
gation of his professorship, he devoted the greatest part of
his time to mathematics, yet hie inclination was now mor«
« 2
14 BERNARD.
to history, chronology, and antiquities. He undertook ft
uew edition of Josephus, but it was never completed. The
liistory of this undertaking is somewhat curious. Several
years before, bishop Fell had resolved, with our author's
assistance, to print at the theatre at Oxford a new edition
of Josephus, more correct than any of the former. But,
either for want of proper means to complete that work^ or
in expectation of one promised by the learned Andrew Bo-
sius, this design was laid aside. Upon the death of Bosius^
i^ was resumed again ; and Mr. Bernard collected all the
manuscripts he could procure out of the libraries of Great^
Britain, both of the Greek text and Epiphanius's Latin,
translation, and purchased Bosius^s valuable papers of his
executors at a great price. Then he published a specimeu
of his edition of Josephus, and wrote great numbers of
letters to his learned friends in France, Holland, Germany,
and other countries, to desire their assistance in that work.
He laboured in it a good while with the utmost vigour and
resolution, though his constitution was much broken by in-,
tense application. But this noble undertakmg was left un<^
finished, for these two reasons. First, many persons com-
plained of Epiphauius^s translation,; because it was defec-
tive, and not answerable to the original in many places, and
required a new version, or at least to have that of Geieniu»
^revised and corrected. Secondly, objections were made to
the heap of various readings that were to be introduced
in this edition, and with the length of the commentaries,
ip which whole dissertations were inserted without any ap-»
parent necessity, that ought to have been placed at the
end of the work, or printed by themselves. These thinga
occasioning a contest between Mr. Bernard and the cura-
tors of the Oxford press, the printing of it was interrupted tt
>and at last the purpose of having it done at the expence of
the university, was defeated by the death of bishop Fell*
However, about six or seven years after, Mr. Bernard was
prevailed upon by three booksellers of Oxfor<l to resume
the work, and to publish it in a less form upon the model
of his specimen ; but they not being able to bear the ex-c
pence of it, on account of the war, after a few sheets were
printed off, desisted from their undertaking. These re»
.peated discouragements hindered the learned author from
proceeding further than the four first books, and part of
the, fifth, of the Jewish Antiquities ; and the first book^
and part of th^ second» of t\m DestrucUon of Jerusalem f
BERNARD* M
which were printed at the Theatre at Oxford in 1686 and
1687, and published in 1700, foL In the notes, the leam«^
' ed author shews himself an universal scholar and discern^
ing critic ; and appears to have been master of mo&t of the
Oriental learning and languages. These notes have been
incorporated into Havercamp's edition.
In 168:^, he went again to Leyden, to be present at the-
sale of Nicholas Heinsius^s library; where he purchased^
at a great price, several of the classical authors, that bad
been either collated with manuscripts, or illustrated with
the original notes of Joseph Scaliger, Bonaventure Vul-
canius, the two Heinsiuses, and other celebrated critics^
Here he renewed his acquaintance with several persons of
eminent learning; particularly Gr«vius, Spanheim, Tri*
glandius, Gronovius, Perizonius, Ryckius, Gallaeus, Rul«-
vs, and especially Nicholas Witsen, burgomaster of Am*
sterdam, ivbo presented him with a Coptic dictionary,
brought from Egypt by Theodore Petraeus of Holsatia ;
and afterwards transmitted to him in 1686, the Coptic and
£thiopic types made of iron, for the use of the printing--
press at Oxford. With such civilities he was so much
pleased, and especially with the opportunities he had of
making improvements in Oriental learning, that he would
have settled at Leyden, if he could have been chosen pro-
fessor of the Oriental languages in that university, but not
being able to compass this, he returned to Oxford. He
began now to be tired of astronomy, and his health de-
clining, he was desirous to resign ; but no other prefermeiit
offering, he was obliged to hold his professorship some
years longer than he intended; in 1684 he took his de«
gree of D. D. and in 1691, being presented to the rectory
of Brightwell in Berkshire, he quitted his professorship^
and was succeeded by David Gregory, professor of mathe-
matics at Edinburgh. In 1692, he was employed in draw-
ing up a catalogue of the manuscripts in Great Britain and
Irdand, which was published at Oxford 1697, foL Dr.
Bernard's shar^ in this undertaking was the drawing up m
most useful and complete alphabetical Index ; to which he
prefixed this title, ^^ Librorum manuscriptorum Magnsb
Britanniae et Hibernise, atqtie externarum aliquot BibKo-
thecarum Index secundum alphabetum Edwardus Ber*
narduB construxit Oxonii'* In this Index he mentions a
great number of valuable Greek manuscripts, which are te
be found in several foreign libraries^ as weU as our pwn;
«€ BERNARD.
Towards the latter end of his life, he was much afflicted
with the stone, yet, notwithstanding this and other infir-
imties, he took a third voyage to Holland, to attend the
$ale of Golius's manuscripts. After six or seven weeks ab-
sence, he returned to London, and from thence to Oxford.
There he fell into a languishing consumption, which put
an end to his life, Jan. 12, 1696, before he was quite
fifty-nine years of age. Four days after, he was interred
in St. John's chapel, where a monument of white marble
was soon, erected for him by his widow, to whom he had
been married only three years. In the middle of it there
is the form of an Heart carved, circumscribed with these
words, according to his own direction a little before he
died, HABEMUS COR BERNARDI : and underneath
E. B, S. T. P. Obiit Jan. 12, 1696. The same is also re-
peated on a small square marble, under which he was
buried. As to this learned man^s character. Dr. Smithy
who knew him well, gives him a very great one. " He
was (says he) pf a miid disposition, averse to wrangling
and disputes ; and if by chance or otherwise he happened
to be present where contests ran high, he would deliver
his opinion with great candour and modesty, and in few
words, but entirely to the purpose. He was a candid
judge of other men's performances ; not too censorious
even on trifling books, if they, contained nothing contrary
to good manners, virtue, or religion ; and U) those which
displayed wit, learning, or good sense, none gave more
ready and more ample praise. Though he was a true soa
£>f the Church of England, yet he judged favourably and
charitably of dissenters of all denominations. His piety
imd prudence never suffered him to be hurried away by a^
immoderate ^eal, in declaiming against the errors of others.
His piety was sincere and unaffected, and his devotions
both in public and private very regular and exemplary*
Of his great and extensive learning, the works he pub*
lished, and the manuscripts he has left, are a sufficient evi-
dence." This character is supported by the concurring
evidence of all his learned contemporaries. The works
he published were : 1. ^' Tables of the longitudes and lati«
tudes of the fixed Stars." 2. « The Obliquity of the Eclip-
tic from the observations of the ancients, in Latin.?
i. ** A Latin letter to Mr. John Flamsteed, containing ob-p
servations on the Eclipse of the Sun, July 2, 1684, at
Oxford.'' All these are in the Philospphical Transacuoni^
BERNARD. 87
4. " A treatise of the ancient Weights and Measures,'^
printed first at the end of Dr. Edward Pocock's Commen-
tary on Hosea, Oxford, 1685, fol. ; and afterwards reprinted
in Latin, wi£h very great additions and alterations, under
this title, " De mensuris & ponderibus antiquis, libri tres,"
Oxon. 1688, 8vo. i. *' Private Devotions, with a briefs
explication of the Ten Commandments," Oxford, 1689,
12mo. 6. ** Orb is eruditi Literatura a charactere Sama-i
ritico deducta ;'' printed at Oxford from a copper-plate,
on one side of a broad sheet of paper : containing at oiie
view, the different forms of letters used by the Phoenicians,
Samaritans, Jews^ Syrians, Arabs, Persians, Bracbmans,
and other Indian philosophers, Malabarians, Greeks,
Cophts, Russians, Sclavonians, ^Ethiopians, Francs, Saxons^
Goths, &c. all collected from ancient inscriptions, coins,
and manuscripts : together with the abbreviations used by
the Greeks, physicians, mathematicians, and chymist&
7, " Etymologicum Britannicum, or derivations of th«
British and English words from the Russian, Sclavonian,
Persian, and Armenian languages ; printed at the end of
Dr. Hickes^s Grammatica Anglo- Saxonica & Moeso-Got-
thica," Oxoh. 1689, 4to. 8. He 'edited Mr. William
Guise's ^* Misn^ pars priiha, ordinis primi Zeraim tituli
septem," Oxon. 1690, 4to. 9. ** Chronoldgise l^amaritanas
Synopsis,'' in two tables; the first containing the most
famous epochas, and remarkable events, from the begin->
ning of the world; the second a catalogue of the Samari-
tan High Priests from Aaron, published in the ** Acta Eru-
ditorum Lipsiensia," April 1691, p. 167, &c. He alsQ
was author of the following : 10. " NotaB iii fragmentum
Seguierianum Stephani Byzantini;" in the library of mon-
sieur Seguier, chaneellbr of Fratice : part of which, relating
to Dodone, were published by Gronovius, at the end of
his " Ekercitationes de Dodone," Leyden, 1681. M. " Ad-
notationes in Epistolam S. Barnabas," published in bishop
Fell's edition of that author, Oxon. 1685, 8vo. 12. ** Short
notes, in Greek and Latin, upon Cotelerius's edition of
the Apostolical Fathers, printed in the Amsterdam edition
of them. 13, " Veterum testimonia de Versionie LXXII
interpf etum," printed at the end of Aristeae Historia LXXII
interpretum, published by Dr. Henry Aldrich, Oxori.
1692, 8vo. 14. He translated into Latin, the letters of
the Samaritans, which Dr. R. Huntington procuired them
to write to their brethren, the Jews in England, in 16T3|
*« BERNARD.
while he was at Sicbem. Dr. Smith having obtained m
copy of this translation, gave it to the learned Job LudoU
ftis, when he was in England, who published it in the col-
lection of Samaritan Epistles, written to himself and other
Jearned men. Besides these works, he also assisted several
learned men in their editions of books, and collated manu-
scripts for them ; and left behind him in manuscript many
books of his own composition, with very large collections^
which, together with the books enriched in the margin
with the notes of the most learned men, and collected by
him in France and Holland, were purchased by the cura-
tors of the Bodleian library, for the sum of two hundred
pounds. They likewise bought a considerable number of
curious and valuable books out of his library, which wero
wanting in the Bodleian, for which they paid one hundred
ftnd forty pounds. The rest of his books were sold by
auction, all oien of letters striving to purchase those which
kad any observations of Dr. Bernard's own hand. ^
BERNARD (Sir Francis), hart, descended from an aiv
eient and respectable family originally of Yorkshire, was
educated at Westminster school, where in 1725, he wa«
elected into the college; and in 1729, became a student
of Christ Church, Oxford, and took his master's degree in
1736. From Oxford he removed to the Middle Temple,
of which society he was afterwards a bencher. He prac-
tised at the bar some years ; and, going the Midland cir-
cuit, was elected steward of the city of Lincoln, and also
ofEciated as recorder at Boston in that circuit. In Febru-
ary, 1758, he was appointed governor of New Jersey ; and
in January, 17(50, governor of Massachusetts Bay. Of this
last province he continued governor ten years, receiving,
during that time, the repeated and uniform approbation of
the crown, amid many successive changes of the ministry
at hdfne; and likewise preserving the confidence and good
opinion of all ranks in the province, until the differences
arising between the two countries, and the opposition
given to the orders sent from Great Britain, made it a
part of bis official duty to take decisive measures for sup-
porting the authority of government ; which, although ge-
nerally approved in this country, could not fail, on the
spot, to weaken and gradually undermine the degree of
popularity he before enjoyed. His conduct^ however, in
> Bbg. Brit, from his Life by Dr. Thomas Smith, publi8h«d with bishop
Huiitiogtoa*s Letters, 8vo. 1704.
BERNARD. M
that trying and difficult situation gave such entire satisfac-
tion to liis majesty^ tiiat lie was advanced while abroad,
and without any sohcitatiou, to the dignity of a bai'ouety
in 1769, and \yas denominated of Netdeham, the present
family estate near Lincoln.
The favourable sentiments which the province enter-
tained for sir Francis before the comrQversy took place be-.
tween Great Britain and the colonies, are shown by the
expressions of acknowledgement and aifection in their se<*.
veral addresses to him up to that period, and the constant
approbation with which he was honoured by his majesty,,
appears from the dispatches of the different secretaries of
state laid before the House of Commons, atid printed by
their order. His " Case before the. Privy Council," printed
in 1770; and his "Select Letters,"^ in 1774; explain in a
very satisfactory manner his conduct during the progress
of the American revolution. After the war commenced,
sir Francis returned to England, and resided mostly at
Nether Wichendon, or Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire.
He died June 16, 1779, leaving a numerous family, of
whom his third son, sir Thomas, the present baronet, chan-
cellor of the diocese of Durham, i& well known as a scholar
and philanthropist. In 1752, sir Francis, who cultivated
a highly classical taste, published " Antonii Alsopi Odarum
libri duo," 4to. (See Alsoh), dedicated in an elegant, copy
of verses to Thomas duke of Newcastle. V
BERNARD (Dr. Francis), was chief physician to king
James II. He was a man of learning, and what is now termed
an able bibliographer. His private collection of books,
which were scarce and curious, sold for upwards of 1600/.
in 169S; a large sum at that time, when the passion for
rare books was much more moderate than now. He died
Feb. 9, 1697, aged 69 years. .Mr. Charles Bernard, bro-t
ther to Francis, and surgeon to the princess Anne, daugh-
ter of king James, had also a curious library, which was
sold by auction in 1711. The ^' Spaccio deila Bestia tri-
omfante,^' by Jordano Bruno, an Italian atheist, which is
md in number 389 of the Spectator to have sold for 30/.
was in this sale. Mr. Anies informs us that this book was
printed in England by Thomas VautrolUer in i594. An
English edition of it was printed in 1713. '
^ Nicholt*s Literary Anecdotes.— Betham's Baionetas^*
^ lbuL-*»Dibdin's Bibliomania.— GraDger.
90 BERNARD.
BERNARD (James), professor of philosophy and ma^
thematics, and minister of the Walloon church at Leyden,
vas bom Sept. 1, 1658, at Nions in Dauphin^. Here^
ceived the rudiments of his education in a protestant aca-
demy, at Die in Dauphin^, and went aftervirards to Geneva^
where he studied philosophy, and acquired a critical know-
ledge of the Hebrew language under the professor Michael
Tnrretin. He returned to France in 1679, and was chosen
sainister of Venterol, a village in Dauphin^. Some time
after he was removed to the church of Vinsobres in the
same province; but the persecutions raised against the
jprotestants in France having obliged him to leave his na«
Uve country, he retired to Geneva in 1683, and as he diti
not think himself suiBciently secure there, he went to
Lausanne, where he remained until the revocation of the
edict of Nantes. He then proceeded to Holland, where
be was appointed one 6f the pensionary ministers of Ganda^
and taught philosophy : but having married after he came
to Holland, and the city of Ganda not being very popu«
lous, he had not a sufficient number of scholars to main-
tain his family; and therefore obtained leave to reside at
the Hague, but went to Ganda to preach . in his tum^
which was about four times a year. About the same time.
Le Clerc, who was his relation, procured him a small sup*
ply from the town of Tergow, as preacher ; and at the
Hague he farther improved his circumstances by teaching
philosophy, belles-lettres, and mathematics. Before he
went to live at the Hague, be had published a kind of po-.
litical state of Europe, entitled ^^ Histoire abreg6e de
TEurope," &c. The work was begun in July 1686, and
continued monthly till December 1688; making five vo-
lumes in 12mo« In 1692, he began his ^^ Lettres Histo-
riques,'' containing an account of the most important
transactions in Europe, with reflections, which was also
published monthly, till 1698 : it was afterwards cojitinued
by other hands, and contains a great naany volumes. ,Mr^
Le Clerc having left off his " Bibliotheque iipiverselle,'*
in 1691, Mr. Bernard wrote the greatest part of the 20th
volume, and by himself carried on the five following, to
the year 1693 ; but as the French critics think, not with
equal ability and spirit. In 1699, he collected and pub-
lished " Actes et negotiations de la Paix de Ryswic," four
vols. l2mo: a new edition of this collection* was published
in 1707^ five vols. 12mo. He did not put his name toan^
BERNARD. ^1
I
ef these works, nor to the general collection of the treaties
of peace, which he published in 1 700 ; and which consists
of the treaties, contracts, acts of guaranty, &c. betwixt
the powers of Europe, four vols. fol. The first contains
the preface, and the treaties made since the year 536 to
1500. The second consists of Mr. Amelot de la^Homssay's
historical and political reflections, and the treaties frpm
1500 to 1600. The third includes the treaties from 1601
to 1661 ; and the fourth, those from 1661 to 1700, with a
general alphabetical index to the whole. He prefixed his
name, however, to his continuation of Bayle^s " Nouvelles
de la Republique des Lettres,^' which was begun in 1698,
and continued till December 1710. This undertaking en-^
gaged him in some disputes, particularly with one Mr. de
Yallone, a monk, who having embraced the reformed re**
ligion, wrote some metaphysical books concerning pre-
destination. Mr. Bernard having given an account of one
of these books, the author was so displeased with it, that
he printed a libel against Mr. Bernard, and gave it about
-privately amongst his friends. He was ilso engaged in a
long dispute with Mr. Bayle upon the two following ques-
tions : 1. Whether the general agreement of all nations in
favour of a deity, be a good proof of the existence of a
deity ? 2. Whether atheism be worse than idolatry ?
Mr. Bernard having acquired great reputation by hit
works, as well as by his sermons at Ganda and the Hague,
the congregation of the Walloon church at Leyden were
desirous to have him for one of their ministers : but they
could not accomplish their desire whilst king William lived,
who refused twice to confirm the election of Mr. Bernard,
as being a republican in his principles, and having deli-
vered his sentiments too freely in a sermon before this
prince : yet these appear to have been the same sentiments
which justified the revolution to which that sovereign owed
the crown of these kingdoms. After king William^s death,
however, he was unanimously chosen in 1705 ; and about
the same time appointed professor of philosophy and ma-
thematics at Leyden ; the university presenting him with
the degrees of doctor of philosophy, and master of arts.
In 1716, he published "A Supplement to Moferi's dic-
tionary,'' in two vols, folio. The same year he resumed
his " Nouvelles de la Republique des Lettres,'* and con-
tinued it till his death, which happened the 27th of Aprii
}7l8, in the 60th year of his age.
."a
^« B E R N A R I>.
Mr. Bernard was well skilled in polite literature, dnd a
perfect master of the Hebrew tongue. He studied the
scriptures with great attention ; and though he was not
reckoned of the first class of mathematicians, yet he could
explain the principles of that science in a very clear and
able manner. As to philosophy, he had applied himself
to that of Des Cartes ; yet after he came into Holland,
having learned the English tongue, he used to read the
best books from England, and had acquired some taste for
the Newtonian philosophy. Besides the works above men-
tioned, he published, 1. " Le Theatre des etats du due de
Savoie, traduit du Latin de Bleau," Hague, 1700, 2 vols,
fol. a beautiful book, with elegant engravings. 2. ** Trait6
de la repentance tardive," Amst. 1712, 12mo. 3. " De
Vexcellence de la religion Chretienne," ibid. 1714, 2 vols.
8vo ; a translation of which was published by his grandson,
Mr. Bernard, of Doncaster, Lond. 1793, 8vo, with the
life of the author, and notes. ^
BERNARD (John Stephen), a learned Dutch physi-
cian, was born in 1718, at Berlin, where his father, Ga->
briel Bernard, was a minister of the reformed church. His
son came to Holland to study physic and determined to re«
main there. Having an extraordinary fondness for the
study of Greek, in which he had made great progress, be
wished to render this knowledge subservient to his profes-
sion, and with'' that view projected a new edition of the
lesser Greek physicians, whose works were become very
scarce and dear. He began first at Leyden, in 1743, with
Demetrius Pepagomenus on the gout; and next year pub*
lisbed an introduction to anatomy by an anonymous author,
and a nomenclature of the parts of the human body by
Hypatius, both in one volume. In 1745, he published
Patladius on fevers, and an inedited Chemical glossary,
with some extracts, likewise inedited from the different
poetical cbenfiists. The same year appeared his edition of
Psellus on the virtues of stones. In 1749, he published
Synesius on fevers, hitherto inedited, and wrote, in the
ninth volume of Dorville's *^ MiscellanesB Observationes
Novae," an account of the variations of a manuscript
copy of the lexicons or glossaries of Erotian, and Galen.
In 1754, when Neaulme, the Dutch bookseller, designed
1 Gen. Diet from te Clerc in NouTelles de la Rep. des Lettres, 1618, Ma^
and June. — Diet. Hi8t.-^Moreri.— Biog, UlUT«neUe.<— Life prefixed to bti " Eseu
MUence of the Christian Religion*'*
BERNARD. 93
a new edition of Longus^s romancei Bernard read the
proofs^ and introduced some important corrections of the
text. As be did not put his name to this edition, Messrs.
Boden, Dutens, and Villoisoni who were also editors of
Longus after him, knew no other way of referring to hii^
than as the ** Paris editor," being deceived by Neaulme's
dating the work from Paris, instead of Amsterdam, where it
was printed. In 1757, he superintended an edition of
Thomas Magister, but his professional engagemefits not al-
lowing him sufficient leisure, the, preface was written by
Oudendorp. From this time, Bernard having ceased ta
write, and having retired to Arnheim, was completely for-
got until, says the editor of the Biog. Universelle, his death
was announced by Saxius in 1790 ; but this seems a mis-
take. Saxius gives an account of him, as of some other
living authors, but leaves his death blank. Bernard, how-
ever, to. contradict such a rumour, or, as his biographer ex-
presses himself, in order to *^ show some signs of life,'^
published a Greek fragment on the dropsy. It was. his pur-
pose next to publish Theophilus Nonnus, ^' De curatione
morbonim.** This work, on which he had bestowed the
labour of many years, and which is one of his best editions,
was published at Gotha in 1794, a year after his death. A
short time before this event, he sent to the society of arts
and sciences at Utrecht, remarks on some Greek authors,
which appeared in the first volume of the '* Acta Littera-
ria" of that society. In 1795, Dr. Gruner published v;ni-
ous letters and pieces of criticism, which Bernard, who was
bis mtimate friend, had sent to him, under the title: of
** Bemardi ReliquisB medico-criticee." Several very lewni-
ed and curious letters from Bernard were also published in
Beiske's Memoirs, Leipsic, 1783.*
BERNARD (John FREnERic), an industrious and learn-
ed bookseller of Amsterdam, distinguished himself about
the beginning of the last century, both as author and edi-:
tor of various works of considerable importance. He wTote
rather learnedly than elegantly, yet with so much im par-^
tiality and candour, that be had many readers. The fol-
lowing list has been given of the principal works of w tiich
iie was editor : 1. ** Recueil de voyages an Nord, conte-
nant divers memoires tres- utiles au commerce et a la navi-
gation,^' Amst 1715 — 38^ 10 vols. l2mo. To thesje he
^ Siog. (JnWifneUe.— Saicii OnOniasUcoQ*
94 BERN A R D.
wrote the preliminary dissertation, the two dissertations! an
the means of useful travel, and the account of Grejsit Tar-
tary* 2. " Memoires du comte de Brienne, ministre d'etat
sous Louis XIV. avec des notes," ibid. 1719, 3 vols. 12aio»
3. ,"Picart*s Religious Ceremonies," ibid. 1723 — 43, 9 vols*
fol. 4. " Superstitions anciennes et modernes," 1733-^36,
2 vols. fol. The second Amsterdam edition of these two
works was printed in 1739 — 43, 1 1 vols, folio ; and in 1741 ■
the abbes Banier and le Mascrier published another edi-
tion at Paris, 7 vols, folio, with Picarf s designs, but the
articles differently arranged; and M. Poucelin gave after-
wards an abridgment, with the same cuts, Paris, 4 vols. foL'
Lastly, M. Prudhomme undertook a new edition of the
Dutch copy, with many additions respecting the history of
religion from the commencement of the eighteenth ceii-
tury, and additional plates to those of Picart, comprised
in 13 folio volumes, besides an additional volume of new^
matter. .5. ^^ Dialogues critiques et philosophiques, par
D. Charte-Livry (J.F.Bernard)," ibid. 1730, 12mo. 6.
** Reflections morales, satyriques et^ comiques," Liege,
1733, 12mo. This work has been attributed to D. Durand,
but he absolutely denied it, and Desfontaines assures us that>
it was written by Bernard. 7. ** Histoire critique des^
Journaux, par Camusat," Amst. 1734, 2 vols. 12mo. 8..
** Dissertations melees sur divers sujets importans et cu-
rieux," Amst 1740, 2 vols. 12mo. Of these two last Ber-
nard is only the editor. 9. An edition of Rabelais, 1741,
3 vols. 4to, with Picart's cuts, a well-known and most beau-
tiful book. Bernard, who flourished a:s a bookseller of
great eminence from the year 1711, died at Amsterdam in
1752.*
BERNARD (Nicholas), a learned English divine of.
the seventeenth century, was educated in the university of
Canabridge, where he took the degree of M. A. and was in-
corporated to the same degree at Oxford, July 15, 1628,
He was probably created D. D. of the university of Dublin,
but this has not been exactly ascertained. He was or-
dained by primate Usher, in 1626, in St. Peter^s church,
Drogheda, while he was only B. A. and made his chaplain,,
and ^oon after, by his interest, was promoted to the dean-*
ery of Ardagh. His Grace having daily opportunities of
takinj^ notice of the learning and judgment of Mr. Bernard^.
1 BiQf • Umv«F9elle«
BERNARD. 95
employed him in making collections for some works he was
then meditating, particularly for the antiquities of the Bri^*
tish churches; which did not appear till 1639. The pri*
mate always expressed great friendship and esteem for him ;
and upon taking his leave of him at Drogheda in 1640,
gave him '^ A serious preparative against the heavy sor-«
row3 and miseries that' he should feel before he saw him
again, and spoke of them with that confidence, as if they
had been within his view." This serious discourse proved
in the event to be a prophecy, as will be noticed in the
life of that prelate. The year foUowipg, Dr. Bernard pub-
lished a book and a sermon which gave offence. These
were entitled, 1. ** The penitent death of a woful Sinner;
or, the penitent death of John Atherton, late bishop of Wa->
terford in Ireland, who was executed at Dublin the fifth of
December, 1640; with some annotations on several pas«
sages," London, 1641, 4to; 1642, 8vo. 2. " A sermon
preached at the burial of John Atherton, the next night
after his execution, in St. John's church, Dublin," Lond.
1641, 4to ; 1642, 8vo. Dr. Bernard had the best opportu-
nity in the world of knowing the truth of the fact for which
bishop Atherton suffered, having attended him in his exem-
plary preparation for death, and in his last moments, and
he gives us his behaviour and confessipn fairly and honestly.
The cause of offence seems, upon the whole, to have been
an opinion that this disgraceful affair had better be buried
in oblivion. Archbishop Usher, however, who saw Dr*
Bernard's good intentions, did not withdraw from him his
favour or countenance. The same year was published a
pamphlet of his writing, upon the siege of Drogheda, of
which he was an eye-witness. In the summer of 1642, hav-^
ing lost most of his substance, he returned safe to England
to attend on the lord primate, and carried with him Usher's
valuable library, which was afterwards removed to Ireland,
and is now in Trinity-college, Dublin. Upon his arrival in
England, he was presented, by the earl of Bridgwater, to
the rich rectory of Whitchurch in Shropshire, and after the
declension of the royal cause, was made chaplain to the
Protector, one of his almoners, and-preacher to the society
of Gray's inn. Being thus comfortably settled, in 1642 he
found leisure, from his pastoral charge, to publish ^* The
whole proceedings of the siege of Drogheda," London and
Dublin, 1642, 4to; and Dublin, 1736 ; and " A Dialogue
between Paul and Agrippa," London, 1642, 4to. After
96 B E R N A R D.
the restofation of king Charles II. in 1660, having no con^
fidence in the settlement of the state of Ireland, he dedinecl
returning and taking possession of his deanery, and conti-
nued at Whitchurch to his death, which happened in win-
ter, 1661. His other works were, 1. " A farewell. sermon
ofcomfort and concord, preached at Drogheda," 1651, 8vo*
2. " The life and death of Dr. James Usher, late archbishop
of Armagh, primate and metropolitan of all Ireland, in a
9ermon preached at bis funeral in the abbey of Westmin-
ster, on the 17th of April, 1656," London, .1656^ 12mo^
afterwards enlarged. 3. " The judgment of the late arch-
bishop of ArmagTi and primate of Ireland ; concerning first,
the extent of Christ's death and satisfaction ; secondly, of
the Sabbath, and observation of the Lord's day," &c. London,
1657, 8vo. This treatise was answered by Dr. Peter Hey-
lyn, in a book entitled " Respondet Petrus ; or, the aii&wer
of Peter Heylyn, D. D. to so much of Dr. Bernard's book
entitled * The judgment of the late primate of Ireland,' &ci
as he is made a party by the said lord primate in the point
of the Sabbath," London, 16^8, 4to. He also published
several letters which passed between him and Dr. Heylyn,
— and published and enlarged several posthumous works of
Dr. Usher; as, ** His judgment on Babylon being the pre-»
sent see of Rome, Rev. xviii. 4, with a sermon of bishop
Bedell's upon the same words,". London, 1659. — " Devo^
tions of the ancient church, in seven pious prayers," &c.
London, 1660, 8vo. — " Clavi trabales, or nails fastened by
some great masters of assemblies, confirming the king's
supremacy, the subject's duty, and church government by
bishops; being a collection of some pieces written on
these subjects by archbishop Usher, Mr. Hooker, bishop
Andrews, and Dr. Hadrian Saravia; with a preface by the-
bishop of Lincoln," Loudon, 1661, 4to.*
BBiRNARD (Peter Joseph), a French, poet, was the
son of a sculptor at Grenoble in Dauphin^, and bom ith
1710. Being sent to the college of Jesuits at Lyons, he
made rapid progress under able masters, who were desirous
of attaching him to their body ; but the young scholar, too
fond of liberty and pleasure^ would not consent to thai
confinement. Being drawn to Paris by the wish to make a/
figure in the poetical world, he was obliged to employ him-
self for two years as clerk to a notary. The light pieces of
> Biof. BritaoDica.*— Wood's Fasti, vol. I.-^Lloyd'« Memoirs, foL 7Q1,
BERNARD. 97
pn^try he seni abroad at intervalsi of which the best are tb^
«putle to ClaudiDe, and t)ie song of the Rose, procure^
him a patron in the oi^qui^ de Pezay^ who took him witU
him to the earopaign of Italy. Bernard was at the battle^
Qf Parma and Guastalla ; and behaved with considerably
l^ravery. Being presented to the marechal de Coigni, wha
commanded there, he was lucky enough to please him by
his wit and agreeable manners. The marechal took hioi
to be his secretary, admitted him to his intimacy, an4
«ome time afterwards procured him the place of secretary «
general of the dragoons. From gratitude he attached him«
self constantly to this Maecenasi till 1756, when he wa$
deprived of him by death. He was in great request in all
the select companies of the court and of Paris; whom he
delighted by the brilliant wit, and warmth of his verses
and airs, of which some are worthy of Anacreon. lu
1771 the sudden loss of his memory put an end to his
happiness, and he fell into a state of mental imbecillity.
In this condition be went to a revival of bis opera of Castor,
^nd was incessantly asking, <^ Is the king come ? Is the
king pleased with it ? Is madame de Pompadour pleased
with it ?" thinking he was all the while at Versailles ; and
riotiug in the delirium of a courtly poet. He died in this
unhappy state> Nov. 1, 1775. Besides his lighter pieceis
of poetry, which got him the appellation of le gentil Bernard^
several operas added much to his reputation. In 1803 an
edition of his works was published in 2 vols. 8vo, apd 4 vols*
l8mo, comprehending several pieces not before published ;
but upon the whole, according to the opinion of his coun-
trymen, hb talents were not of the i^rst order, and his
popularity appears to have been owing more to his grati-
fying the passions than the taste of his companions and
readers.^
BERNARD (Richard), an English divine of the seven* •
teenth century,. and rector of Batecombe in Somersetshire^
was author of *^ Thesaurus Blblicus," a laborious work for-
merly much used by way of concordance. . He was also
author of an^ '^^ Abstract and Epitome of the Bible.'^ In
1627 he published ^< A guide to grand jurymen with .re-,
spect to Witohes," the country where he lived being, if we
may believe Glanville, formerly much infested with them^
lie died in 1641, and was succeeded by the famous noa*»
Vol. V. H
^4 BERNARD.
coDformist Richard Allein^ of whom there is an account in
Tol. L.p. 479, of this work. Mr. Bernard, of whom we hay*
no farther biographical memoirs, was also the author of an al-
legorical work, entitled '^ The Isle of Man, or legal proceed-
ing in Man-stiire against sin ;^* the tenth edition of which was
published in 1635. This work has been lately reprinted, from
a conjecture that Bunyan might have taken from it the plan
of his ** Pilgrim^s Progress." The two authors agree, how-
ever, in our opinion, only in the personification of graces
and sins, or virtues and vices, which is of higher origin
than either; and, if the comparative merits of the two
works be exannined, no reader can hesitate a moment in
giving the preference to Bunyan. *
BERNARD (Richard), another author of whom we
know only that he lived at Epworth in Lincolnshire, in the
reign of queen Elizabeth, is chiefly noticeable as having
given the first entire translation of Terence's comedies,
published in 1598, 4to, and often reprintejl between that
year and 1641.*
BERNARD (Samuel), an opulent financier of France,
was the son of Samuel Bernard, an engraver (mentioned
by Strutt), who died in 1637. He was born in 1651, but
how educated, or by what means he raised his fortune, we
are not told. Under the ministry of Chamillard he became
•a farmer general, and accumulated a capital of thirty -three
millions, of which he made a very liberal use', but seems
to have been proudly aware of the superiority of lender
over borrower. When Louis XIV. wanted supplies, Ber-
nard granted them, but always in consequence of his ma-
jesty ^s applying to him in person. * Louis XV. when in
need of similar help, sent certain persons to Bernard, whose
answer was, that *Hhose who wanted his assistance might
at least take the trouble to apply themselves.'* He was
accordingly presented to the king, who said many flat-
tering things to him, and ordered the courtiers to pay him
every mark of respect Bernard was now called the saviour
of the state ; all the courtiers entertained him .in succes*
sion ; he dined with the marshal Noailles, and supped
with the duchess of Tallard, and played and lost what they
pleased. They sneered at his manners, which were ci-
tizen-like, and he lent the millions which they demanded.
Bernard, however, was of a benevolent turn ; the poor of
^ Last edition of this Diet. — Granger. * Jacobus Lives. — ^Biog. Dram,
BERNARD. 99
the tniUtary order were particularly the subjects of his
bounty, and, frequently as they might apply, they never
y^ere refused. On his death it was found that he had lent
ten millions^ of which he. never received a farthing in re-
turn. In his speculations he was bi)th bold and successful.
One day he had asked a person of distinction to dine with
him, and had promised to treat him wiih some excellent
mountain, not knowing at that time that his stock was ex-
hausted. After dinner his servant announced this lament-
able deficiency, and Bernard, not a little hurt at the un-
seasonable discovery, immediately dispatched one of his
clerks to Holland,' with instructions to purchase every
drop of mountain in the port of Amsterdam, by v^hich he
afterwards gained an immense sum. Of his family, so
little was known, that he was supposed to be' of Jewish
descent, but without any reason. He used to say, that if
they would make him a chevalier, his name would no longer
hurt their delicate feelincrs, and accordingly, he received
letters of nobility. He then purchased several estates
with titles, and among others, those of the counts of Cou-
bert ; and during the last years of his life, he was generally
called the chevalier Bernard. One of bis sons, president
of one of the chambers of inquiry in parliament, bore the
name of Rieux ; another was called the count de Coubert,
and bis grandson, Anne-GabrieKHenry Bernard, assumed
the title of marquis de Boulainvilliers. He married his
daughter to M0I6, first president, and thus became grand-
father to the duchess de Coss6-Brissac ; and his family^
by these revolutibns, became allied to the great names of
Biron, Duroure, and Boulainvilliers. Bernard was the
friend of the keeper of the seals, Chauvelin, and remained
faithful to him when disgraced. It is said that he was, or
in his old age became superstitious, and fancied his life
connected with that of a black fowl, of which he took great
care, convinced that its death would be the prelude to his
own. He lived, however, to the advanced age of eighty-
eight, dying in 1739. Another account intorms us, tnat
tlie greater part of his thirty-three millions was dissipated
within ten years after his death, and that one of his son^^
who was president of the parliament of Paris, died a bank*.
tupt Such vicissitudes are too common in all ages to
e^Lcite much surprize. ^
^ Biog. Univertclle.— Diet Hiit.
H 2
100 BERNARDL
• •• . .
BERNARDI DEL CASTEL BOLOGNESE (John),
9Q palled from Ca&tel Bolognese in the Romania^ where bq
was born in 1495, distinguished bimself for bis admirably
skill in engraving on precious stones. After having resided
for several years ,with Alphonso duke of Ferrara, where his
works excited univerisal admirationi he went to Rome, and
attached bimself to the cardinal Hyppolito de Medicis,
whose friendship be preferred to the brilliant offers made
by Charles V. who was very desirous of his residing in
Spain. At Rome, Bernard executed some medals in ho-
nour of Clement VIL of such exquisite beauty, as to meet
with the applause even of his rivals. . Among the chefs-
d^ceuvre which he left, are two engravings on crystal,
which have been particularly noticed by connoisseurs. Th^
subjects are the ** Fall of Phaeton," and " Tityus with
the vulture,? from designs by Micha,el Angelo^ both which
we^e thought to approach to the perfection of the ancients.
Enriched by the patronage of cardinal de Medicis, and
esteemed by all who knew him, he passed his latter days in
a charming retreat, at Faenza, which he had enriched
with a fine collection of pictures, and where he died in
1555.*
BERNARDI (John), usually called major Bernardi, an
adventurer of whom there is a very prolix, but not very
interesting account in the Biographia Britannica, was bom
at Evesham, in 1657, and was descended from an honour*
able family which bad flourished at Lucca in Italy, from
the year 1097. His grandfather Philip, a count of the
Roman empire, lived in England as resident from Genoa
twenty -eight years, and married a native of this country.
His father Francis succeeded to this, of&ce ; but, taking
disgust at some measures adopted by the senate of Genoa,
resigned, and retiring to Evesham, amused himself with
gardening, on which he spent a considerable sum of
money, and set a good example in that science to the
town. John, his son, the subject of this article, of a spirited
s^nd restless temper, having received some harsh usage
from his father, at the age of thirteen ran away to avoid
his severity, and perhaps without any determinate pur-»
pose. He retained, notwithstanding, several friends, and
was for some time supported by them, but their friendship*
appears to have gone little farther ; for soon after he en-
i^Biog. Univ.-*Dict. Hist
BERNARD]. lot
t
listed as a common soldier in the service of the prince of
Or&nge. In this station he showed nncommon talents arid
bravery, and in a short time obtained a captain's commis->
sion in the service of the States. In April 1677, he mar-
ried a Datch lady of good family, with whom he enjoyed
much conjugal happiness for eleven years. The English
regiments in the Dutch service being recalled by James IL
very few of them, but among those few was Bernard!;
would obey the summons, and of course, he could not
tign the association, into which the printe of Orange
wished the regiments to enter. He thus lost his favour,
and having no other alternative, and probably wishing
for no other, he followed the abdicated James II. into
Ireland ; who, soon after, sent him on some commissioti
into Scotland, from whence, as the ruin of his master now
became inevitable, he once more retired to Holland.
Venturing, hov^ever, to appear in London in 1695, hetv^»
committed to Newgate ]Vlarch 25j 1696, on suspicion of
being an abettor of the plot to assassinate king William,
and although sufficient evidence could not be brought to
prove the fact, he was sentenced and continued in prison
by the express decree of six successive parliaments, with
five other persons, where he remained for more than forty
years. As this was a circumstance whdily without i pre-
cedent, it has been supposed thaft there must hare been
something in his character particularly dangerous, to in-
duce four sovereigns and six parliaments to protract his
confinement, without either legally condemning or par-,
doning him.
In his confinement he had the courage to venture on a
second marriage, which proved a Very fortunate event to
him, as he thos not only enjoyed the soothing converse t)f
a true friend, but was even supported during his whole
imprisonment by the care and industry of his wife. Teti
bhildren were the produce of this marriage, the inheritors
of misery and confinemeht. In the mean time he is said
to have Borne his imprisonment with such resignation and
evenness of temper, as to have excited ihuch respect and
love in the few who enjoyed his acquaintance. In the eai'-
lier part of life he had received several dangerous wo\ihdi^,
which now breaking out afi'esh, and giving hiih great tor-
ment, afforded a fresh trial of his equanimity and firmiifesS.
At length he died Sept. 20, 1736, leaving bis wife and
numerous family probably iii a destitute state i but what
iOS BERNARDL
became of them afterwards is. not known. Bemardi was m
little, brisk, and active man, of a very cheerful disposition^
and, as may appear even from this short narrative^ of great
courage and constancy of mind. ^
BERNARDINEy an ecclesiastic and saint, was born at
Massa, in Tuscany, Sept. 8, 1380. Having lost his mo-
ther at three years of age, and his father at, seven, his re-
lations in 1392 sent for him to Sienna, where he learned
grammar under Onuphrius, and philosophy under John
Spoletantis. In 1396 he entered himself among the con-
fraternity of the disciplinaries in the hospital de la Scala in
that city : and in 1 400, when the plague ravaged all Italy,
be attended upon the sick in that hospital with the utmost
diligence and humanity. In 1404 he entered into a mo-
nastery of the Franciscan order, near Sienna, and, having
been ordained priest, became an eminent preacher. He
was afterwards sent to Jerusalem, as commissary of the
boly land ; and upon his return to Italy, visited several
cities, where he preached with great applause. His ene-
mies accused him to pope Mariin V. of having advanced
in bis sermons erroneous propositions ; upon which he was
ordered to Rome, where he vindicated himself, apd was
allowed to continue his preaching. The cities of Ferrara,
Sienna, and Urbino, desired pope Eugenius IV. to ap-
point him their bishop ; but Bernardine refused to accept
of this honour. He repaired and founded above 3G0 monas-
teries in that country. He died at Aquila in Abruzzo,
May 20, 1444, and was canonised in 1450, by pope Ni-
cbolas.
His works were first published by Peter Rodolphus^
bishop of Sinigaglia, 1591, Venice, 4 vols. 4to, and father
de Lahaye published a new edition at Paris, 1636, 5 vols,
fol. which has been followed by one of the same number
of volumes, at Venice, 1745. The edition of 1591 is
thus analyzed: Volume 1. contains his ^^Quadragesimale
de Keligione Christiana,** inchuii tg sixty-one Lent ser-
mons. The second contains ^ QuaJragesimale de Evan-
gelio tsterno,** or a course of Lent sermons upon the ever-
lasting gospel. The third contains two ^' Adveiuualia/*
one concerning the life of Christ, according to Mr. Whar-
ton, in his appendix to Dr. Cave's Historia Littraria, or
concerning the Beatitudes, according to Du Pin ; the
I Biof • Brit firon s Life pnblti lied by himself. — ^TindaPs Hist of ETetbaiii.
BERNARDINE. 103.
•tfaer concerning Inspirations. The s^me volume likewise
includes two ^* Quadragesimalia/' one concerning the Spi«
ritual Combat, and the other entitled the Seraphim, or of
Love ; several sermons upon the four last things, and others
entitled Extraordinary, to the number of twenty-five ;
'^ A treatise upon Confession ;*' the ^* Mirror of Sinners ;**
a discourse uppn tlie precepts of the rule of the Minorite
friars, or a '^ Tract concerning the Precepts of a Reli«
gious ;'' a letter to the monks of his order in Italy, con-
cerning several regulations ; ^' Holy Breathings to God,
for every day ;" a dialogue concerning Obedience. Father
de la Haye is not of opinion the two Quadragesimalia in
this volume are the genuine productions of our author, be-^
cause they are written in a different style, and with less
elevation and learning than the other works of bt. Ber*
nardine. The last volume contains his sermons upon se*
Teral other Sundays of the year, and the festivals of our
Saviour and the Saints, with a ^' Commentary upon the
Apocalypse.*' We have not now extant his treatise of the
'-' Conception of the blessed Virgin," mentioned by Tri*
tbemius and other authors. The sermons of St. Bernardine
are not written in a very pure style ; but they contain, a
great deal of solid morality, and he does not fall so fre-
quently into false conceits and puerilities, as the ottier
preachers of that age. ^
BERNARDONI (PET£]t Antony), an Italian poet, was
bom at Vignola, in the duchy of Modena, June 30, 1672.
His early studies afforded great promise of talents, and at
the age of nineteen he was admitted into the academy of
the Arcadians. He resided a considerable time at Bo-
logna, where he established a colony of Arcadians, and for
this reason in the title of some of his works be is styled a
Bolognese, although certainly not a native of tnat city. In
1701 he was appointed imperial poet at the court of Vienna,
which he would fain have given up in favour of Apostolo
S^eoo, but the latter declined it, and Bernardoui accordingly
filled the oflice under the two emperors Leopold and Jo-
seph I. He died at Bologna, Jan. 19, 1714. He pub-^
lished .two collections of poetry: 1. " I Fiori, primizie
poetiche, divise in rime amorose, sacre, morali, e funebri,*'
Bologna, 1694, l2mo; and ^* Rime varie,'' Vienna, 1705,
4to* 2. Several tragedies and musical dramas, oratorios^
> Geiu Diet. — Moreri; — Biog. UoWenelle.-^-Dupiiu — Cave.
104 B E R N A R D O N L
he. all which were collected in the edition of hiB work»
published at Bologna, 1706 — 7, 3 vols. 8vo.'
BERNAZZANO, a Milanese painter, flotirished about
the year 1536. His Christian name is not known. Or«
landi speaks of him by the name only of Bemazzano of
Milan. His friend Csesar de S^sta, the scholar of Leonard'
da Vinci^ being a good painter of figures, bpt deficient in
landscape, a branch in which Bernazzano excelled, they
agreed to a partnership in their works. Among their
numerous paintings b a *' baptism of our Saviour,'' in which
Bemazzano painted some fruit so naturally that birds came
and pecked at it. Such anecdotes are not uncommon in
the history of painting, but generally to be received with
caution. Lomazzoinhis Trattatodell' arte della pittura,'! Mi-
lan, 1584, 4to, does not give the date of Bernazzano's death. ',
BERNEGGER (Matthias), who was born Feb. 8, 1582,
at Hallstadt, in Austria, became rector of the college^
and professor of history at Strasburgh, where he died
Feb. 3, 1640. He was esteemed one of the best critics of
his time, and had particularly studied the works of Thu-
cydides, Tacitus, Suetonius, and Sallust Niceron (vol.
XXVII) has a large catalogue of his writings, of which
the principal are: 1. ^' Hypobolimaea D. Marie Deiparoe
Camera, seu Idolum Lauretanum, &c. dejectum,*' Stras«
burgh, 1619, 4to. 2. ^* De jure eligendi reges et prin-
cipes,^' ibid. 1627, 4to. He edited an edition of Tacitus^
1638, 4to, and one of Pliny the younger, with a selection
of notes, 1635, 4to. He likewise translated Galileo from
the Latin. Bemegger corresponded with Kepler and Gro-
Uus, and their letters were published under the titled
^^ Epistolas mutuee H. Grotii et Matt. Berneggeri," Stras-
burgh, 1667, 12mo ; and <^ Epistolas Joannis Kepleri, &c.'^
ibid. 1672, 12mo. Freinshem was his nephew,. His '^ Ob^
servationes miscellanei*' on history, &c. were published by
his son in 1669, 8vo.'
BERNEkS (Juliana), on account of her being one of
the earliest female writers in England, is entitled to some
notice in this work, although the most painful research
has discovered very little of her personal history. She
is frequently called Juliana Barnes, but Bemers was bev
more proper name. She was an Essex lady, and, accord*
1 Biog. Universelle.— Quadrio's Hist. Poet. toI. III.
• Biog. Univ. — Moren.-<i-PiIkington.
> Biog. Univ.— Freheri Tbeatrum.— Baillet Jugeooens de SaTans.— Suit
OnomastiooD.
B E R N E R S. IbS
itig to Mr. Ballard) was probably bom at RodiHg id that
county, about the beginning of the fifteei\th century ; being
the daughter of sir Jame^ Bemers of Bern'ers Rbding, and
sister of Richard lord Berners. If, however, as is gerv^«
niUy agreed, sir James Berners was her father, her birth
could have been very little tfter' 1388 ; for in that year sir
James Berners was beheaded, as an enemy to the public,
together with other favourites and corrupt ministers of
king Richard the second. The education of Juliana seems
to have been the very best which that age could afford,'
and her attainments were such, that she is Celebrated by
various authors for her uncommon learninnr and her other
accomplishments^ which rendered her every way capable
and deserving of the office she bore ; which was that o^
prioress or Sopewell nunnery. This was a cell to, and
very near St. Alban's, and a good part of the shell of it U
still standing. Here she lived in high esteem, and flou-
rished, according to Bale, Tanner, and Ballard, about
the year 1460; butif what we have said concerning her
birtli be the true account, sh^ must have flourished some-
what earlier. She was a very beautiful lady, of great
spirit, and loved masculine exercises, such as hawking^
hunting, &c. With these sports she used to recreate her-
self, and so thoroughly was she skilled in them, that she
wrote treatises of hawking, hunting, and heraldry. " Prom
an abbess disposed to turn author," says Mr. Warton, " we
might more reasonably have expected a manual of medita-
tions for the closet, or select rules for making salves, or
distilling strong waters. But the diversions of the fleld
were not thought inconsistent with the character of a re-
ligious lady of this eminent rank, who resembled an abbot
in respect of exercising an extensive manerial jurisdiction,
atid who hawked and hunted" in common with other ladies
of distinction." So well esteemed were Juliana Berners's
treatises, and indeed so popular were the subjects on which
they were written, that they were published in the very
Infanc'y of the art of printing. The first edition is said to
have been printed at St. Alban's, in 1481. It was cer-
tainly printed at the same place in 1486, in a small folio ;
and again, at Westminster, by W. de Worde, in 1496,' in
4to. Among Cryne's books in the Bodleian library, there
is a black letter copy of this work, " imprynted at London
in Paul** Churchy arde by me Hary Tab." It was again
printed, itith Wooden cuts, by William Copland, without
10< B £ R N E R S;
date, and entitled, ** The boke of Hawkyng, Hunting, and
Fishing, with all the properties and medecynes that are
necessary to be kepf Here the tract on Armory is
omitted, which seems to have been first inserted that the
work might contain a complete course of education for a
gentleman. The same title is in W. PoweFs edition, 1 550.
The last impression of it was in 4to, at London, in 1595,
under the ioiloWing title, " The gentleman's academic :
or tiie book of St. Albans ; containing three most exact and
excellent books ; the first of Hawking, the second of alt the
proper terms of Hunting, and the last of AAnory ; all com*
piled by Juliana Barnes, in the year from the incarnation of
Christ, 1486. And now reduced into better method by
G. M.'* This editor is certainly mistaken in saying that
the whole work was composed in 1486. Juliana Berners
could scarcely have been living at that time ; and even if
she was not then dead, the book must have been written
by her in a more early period of life. It is said, indeed,
in the Colophon at the end of the St. Alban's edition,
^^ And here now endith the Boke of blasyng of armys,
translatyt and compylyt togedyr at Saynt Albons the
yere from thyncarjiacyon of our Lorde Jhesu Crist
MCCCGLXXXVl." But all we can justly infer from
hence is, that that part of the work which relates to he-
raldry was not drawn up by Juliana Berners. It is ob-
servable, that though the whole treatise is usually ascribed
• to her, her name is only subjoined to the book on hawking
and hunting ; and that what relates to the biasing of arms
contains no more than abstracts from a performance of
Nicholas Upton, written about 1441. It is highly pro-
bable, therefore, that this latter part, if it was compiled
to late as in 1486, was added by another hand ; and, in-
deed, if Juliana Berners was the daughter of sir Jame^
Berners, there can be no doubt about the matter. That
part of our abbesses work which relates to hunting, is
written in rhyme. It is spoken in her own person ; in
which, being otherwise a woman of authority, sheaiiBumes
the title of Dame. Mr. Warton suspects the whole to be
a translation from the French or Latin. The barbarism of
the times strongly appears in the indelicate expressions
which Juliana Berners often uses^ and which are equally
incompaiible with her sex and profession. The book ou
armory begins with the following curious piece of sacred
heraldry : ^* Of the offspring of the gentilman Jafetb, conitt
B E R N £ it S. 109
Habraham, Moyses, Aron, and the proFettys; and also
the kyng of the r^ht iyiie oi Mary, of whom that gen*
tilnian Jhesu» was borne, very God and man : after bis
manhode kynge ofthe land ofJude and of Jues, gentiiman
by his aio.lre Mary, pnn^e of cote atmure, &c " The'
most diligent inquirers have not been able to determine
the exact peno^l of Juliana Berner:i*s decease ; but from
what is mentioned above, it is probable that she died
sooner ti^an has commonly been imagined.
The public have been recently gratified with a fac-simile
reprint of Julittna Berners's curious work, as printeJ by
Wynkyn de Worde, preceded by a biographical and biblio-
graptiical dissertation, so copious and correct, as to ren-
der all subsequent attempts superfluous. Joseph Haslewood,
esq. the editor, has 'left no sources unexplored, and no
means untried, by which light might be thrown upon the
work or its supposed authoress. He is of opinion that the
only parts of the work which can saft^Iy be attributed to her
pen, are: 1. A small portion of the treatise on Hawking.
2. The treatise upon Hunting. 3. A short list of the beasts
of chase : and, 4. Another bhort one of beasts and fowls.
This fac-simile edition, of which one hundred and fifty
copies only were printed, is executed with uncommon ac-.
curacy and fidelity, and does high credit to the taste, mi-v
nuie attention, and perseverance (for all are necessary }n
an attempt of this kind) displayed by the printer, Mr. Jo-
seph Harding. At the late sale of tbe library of the duke
of Roxburgh, an imperfect copy of Wynkyn de Worde'a
edition was sold for 147/.^
^ BERN! (Francis), called by some writers Berna or
Beknia, was one of the most celebrated Italian poets of
the sixteenth century. He was born about the conclusion
of the fifteenth, at Lamporecchio, in that part of Tuscany
called VaUdi-Nievole, of a noble but impoveri^ihed family
of Florence. In his nineteenth year he went to home, to
his relation cardinal Bibiena, who according to his own ac-
count, did him neither good nor harm. He was then obliged
to take tbe ojBBce of secretary to Giberti, bishop of Verona,
who was datary to pope Leo X. On this he assumed the
ecclesiastical habit, in hopes of sharing some of that pre-
late's patronage, but the mean and dull employment ot hif
1 Biog. Brit.— Mr. Hatlewood's reprint.— Dibdin't Antiquitict, vol. II.—-
JSIIis> Sp«ciiiifiis« ToL 1.— Ballard'f Memoirs.— WanoD> Hisu oi Poetry, voL
lOS B E R N L
office of secretary, and for which he w&s ill paid, was very
unsuitable to his dispositioti. There was at Kome what he
liked bettet", a society or academy of young ecclesiastics a»
gay as himself, and lovers of wit and poetry like hin^self,
who, no doiibt in order to point out their taste for wine,
jtnd their thoughtless habits, were called Vignajuoliy vine-
dresiSers. To this belonged Mauro, Casa, Firenzuola, Ca-
pilupi^ and many others. In their meetings they laughed
at every thing, and made verses and witticisms on the most
grave and Solemn subjects. The compositions Berni con*
tributed on these occasions, were so superior to the others,
that verses composed in the sam^ style began t;o be called
^* La poesia Bernesca/*
Bertii was at Rome in 1527, when it was plundered by
the army of the constable of Bourbon, and lost all he pos-
sessed. He then travelled with his patron Giberti to Ve-
irotta, Venice, and Padua, but being tired of the service,
and having no longer any hopes of adding to a canonry in
the church of Florence, which he had possessed someyears^
he retired to that city with a view to a life of independence
tLvkA moderation. Here an acquaintance which he unhap*
pily formed with two great men proved fatal to him, Alex-
•ander de Medici, duke of Florence, and the young cardinal
Hippolito de Medici, each of whom is supposed to have
Contended with the other, which should first destroy his
rival by poison. One of them is said to have been desirous
of employing Berni in this detestable project, and he hav-
ing refused his assistance, fell a victim to the revenge of
his patron, by a death of similar treachery. The cardinal ^
certainly died in 1535, and, according to all historians, by
poison. The death of Berni is fixed on July 26, 1535,
from which long interval it has been thought improbable
that the duke Alexander would have caused him to be poi-
soned, for not having concurred in the destruction of a
rival who had been dead probably a year ; but there is
nothing in the character of Alexander to make us think he
would scruple at this additional crime, and that for a veiry
good reason, to get rid of one who was privy to his design
tipon the cardinal.
Berni's character was in all respects a singular one, but .
in few deserving imitation. His morals as well as his writ*
ings were of the licentious cast, and as to his manners, in«
dolence seemed to predominate. He had no pleasure in
music, dancing, gaming, or hunting : his sole delight was
tB.E.Il.;Nl. ««
in b^idxig not^iipg to ^pi ai>d stret^ing ^iatt^^f at fviU : lexifth
on his bed* ^is cbi^f e%j^vc\se wa^ to eat a Mttl^ and then
compose him^lf to sl^ep, s^d after, sl^p^ to q^n/t again.
He observed nqither days iipr almanack^.; and bis sforvanta
were ordered to br^ig him no nfsw& vt^betb^r gppd or bad*.
That be was not, however, so ^Qt^rely deypted to indolence^
as we might, froca tb^ ch^racte^r . wJ^iicb b0 has chosen to
give of liimself^ be iodjuced to beiliev^, sufficiently appears
from l^s numerous writings, and particularly from his hav-
ing reformed and nen^-modeU^d . the extensive poem of
** Orlapdo Inqamorato*' of tliexount Bojardo. . This work
he is said to have undertaken in competition with the
*^ Orlando Furioso'* of Ariosto, which has giv^n occasioa
to accuse Bemi of presumption and Qf ignorance,; but
Berni was too well acquainted with the n$iture of bis owa
talents, calculated only for the burlesque wd ridiculous^
to suppose that he could rival Ariosto. He has, however,
both in this and in other parts of his writings, shewn thai
he could occasionally elevate his style; and the introductory
verses to each canto of the Orlando Innamorato, which ara
generally his own composition, are not the least admired
nor the least valuable parts of the work. That tlie, altera-
tions of Berni raised the poem of Bojardo into more gene-
ral notice, may be conjectured from the various editiona
of the refcH'med work, which issued from the pres$ soon
after its first appearance, and which are yet sought after
with avidity. Some of these editions are, that of Venice,
1541, 4to; of Milan, 1542, Svo ; and Venice with addi-
tions, 1545, 4to; which last is in great request There
are two very correct modern edition^ ; that of Naples^ but
dated! Florence, 1725, and that by Molini, Paris, 1768,
4 vols. 12mo. Berni's other works are, 1. ^' Rime bur-
lescbe," often reprinted with those of Casa, Mauro, Molza,
and other poets of the same class. The first edition is that
of Venice, 1538, 8vo. . Another valuable edition is that of
Grazzini, called Lasca, in 2 vols. Florence, 1548, and 1555,
8vo. This last volume is the most rare, being printed only
once, and the other twice. 2. ^^ La Catrina, atto scenico
rusticale,'' Florence, 1567, 8vo, written in the cpmmou
dialect of the peasantry of Tuscany, like the " Nencia'* of
Barberino, the " Cecco" of Varlongo, &c. It was after-
wards printed in a collection of comedtes of the sixteenth
century, Naples, 1731, 8vo. 3. " Carmina," or Latin
poems, to be found in the <^ Carmina quinque Etruscorum
110 BlE R N I.
■ a - •
paetaram,'* Florence, 1562, 8vo, and in the "Carmina
iUustrium poetarum Icaiorum/' ibid, 17 19, 8vo. '
BEKNI (Count Francis), a lawyer, philosopher, orator,
and. poet, of Ferrara, was born in 1610. After having pur-
sued bift studies with great soccess, and taken his law de«
grees, in the university of his native city, he was chosen
professor of the belles lettres, then first secretary, and in
that quality was sent to compliment pope Innocent X- on
his election to the papal chair. He lived in considerable
favour with that pope, as well as with AiexanJer VII. and
Clement IX. his successors, and ths dukes of Mantua,
Charles t. and II. who conferred upoti him the title of
Count. His poetical talents were principally devoted to
the drama ; and one of his plays '^ Gli Sforzi del Desiderio,'*
represented at Ferrara in 1652, was so successful, that the
archduke Ferdinand Charles, struck with its popularity,
no sooner returned home than he sent for the author and
some architects from Ferrara, to build two theatres for si-
miiar representations. Berni was married seven times,
and ha i, as migiit be expected, a numerous family, of
whpiu nine sous and daughters survived him. He died
Oct. 13, 1673. Eleven of his dramas, formerly published
separately, were printed in one volume, at Ferrara, 1666,
l42n)o. He published also a miscellany of discourses, pro-
blems, &c. entitled << Accademia,'* Ferrara, 2 vols. 4to,
without date, and reprinted iu 1658. Many of his lyric
poems are in the collections. *
BERNIEtt (Francis) was distinguished in the brilliant
age of Louis XIV. as a philosopher and traveller, and his
merit, in both respects, was enhanced by his personal ac-
complishments, which proctired him a degree of celebrity
when living, that has not yet perished. His treatises on
philosophy, it is true, are no longer read, for which the
progress of science since the seventeenth century may ac-
count, but his voyages and travels are still in high estima-
tion. They made the wopid acquainted with countries
which no European had before visited, and none have
since described so well, and threw light on the revolutions
of India at a very interesting period, the time of Aureng-
Zeb. George Forster places Bernier in the first class of
Indian historians, praises his simple and engaging style,
> Bios. tTDiTeneUe.— Roicoe't Leo.-«BaUlet Jofemem des SaTaof.— Moreru
* Biog. Uuiylrfelle.
BE R N I E R. Ill
his judgment afnd his accuracy; and the letter in which
Forsier bestows this encomium was written from Cache-
mire, which Bemier has so well described. Bernier lived
in intimacy with the most illustrious characters of bis time,
and ^as particularly intimate with the celebrated Ninon
de Lenclos, madame de la Sa,bliere, Chapelte, whose eloge
he wrote, and St. Evremont, who represents him as deserv-
^^Sy ^y ^^^ ^"^ figure, manners and conversation, the tstle
of the Genteel Philosopher. He assisted Boileau in fabri-
cating a burlesque decree in favour of Aristotle, which the
president Lamoignon had almost signed, when he saw
through the joke, and candidly confessed that it had pre-
vented him from signing a decree that would have been
fully as ridiculous.
. Bernier was born at Angers, but in what year is not
known. He first studied medicine, and took a doctor's
degree at Montpellier, and then began to indulge his taste
for travelling. In 1654, he went to Syria, and thence to
Egypt. After remaining more than a year at Grand Cairo,
he was attacked by the plague, but embarked some time
after at Suez, for India, where he resided twelve year%
eight of them as physician to the emperor Aureng Zeb.
The favourite minister of that prince, the emir Danich-
mend, a friend of science and literature, patronized him,
and took him to Cachemire. On his return Bernier pub«
lished his voyages and philosophical works. In 1685 he
visited England, and died at Paris, Sept. 22, 1688. Hit
works are, 1. <^ Histoire de la derniere revolution des etats
du Grand-Mogul, &c.'* 4 vols. 1670, 1671, 12mo. Thii
work procured him. the name of the Mogul. It has been
often reprinted under the title of "Voyages de Francoii
Bernier, &c.'* and translated into English, 1671, 1675,
"8vo. 2. ** Abreg6 de la philosophie de Gassendi," Lyons,
1678, 8 vols. 12mo, and 1684, 7 vols. His own philoso«-
phy inclines to the Epicurean. 3. V Memoire sur le quie*
iisme des Indes ;" " Extraits de diverses pieces envoy6e«
pour etrennes par M. Bernier a Madame de la Sabliere,'^
And '* Eloge de M. Chapelle,'' inserted in the Journal de
Savans, 1688. 4. " Trait6 du libre etdu volontaire," Amst.
1-685, 12010, and some other papers in the literary Jour*
nals.*
^ Biof . UaiTerselle.— <3ta'. Diet— Moreri*
lia B E R N I E K.
BERNIEE (John), a physicis^n, bom in 1622/ at Bloi;^
ivhere be practised foe tweiity-eigbt years, and afterv^rd«
fit Pari^, hs^^ the title of Physician tp Madaoie. He wrote,
I. " A bi^tQ^'y of Blois," Paris, 1682, 4tQ, very inaccurate
in the opinipn pf Lirgiii. 2. ^* Medical Essays,'^ 163SS 4tQ«
3. ^* Anti-Meqagiana,'* 1693, l2mo. 4. " Critique on tho
Works of Rabelais," Paris, 1697, 12inp, full of verbosity
s^iid false wit. His rank of physician to Madame did not
rescue him from poverty, and bis disappointments gave
blip a strong tincture of chagrin and melancholy, which is
manifest in a^U his writings. His erudition Was extremely
superficial, but he talked incessantly* Menage used tQ
l»y that he ought to talk well, for he did nothing else^ but,
added he, Bernier is mr levis aryiiatune. He died May \%
J698. »
BERNIER (Nicholas), an eminent musician and com?
poser, was born at Mante on the Seine, in 1664. By his
luerit in his profession he attained to be conductor of the
music in th^ chapel of St. Stephen, and afterwards in that
of the king* The regent duke of Orleai!is admired his
lyorksy and patronized their author. This prince having
given him a motet of his own composition to examine, and
being impatient for his observations thereon, went to the
hoi^se of Bernier, and entering his study, found the abb^
de la Croix there criticising his piece, while the musician
himself was in another room carousing and singing with a
pompany of his friends. The duke broke in upon and in--
^errupted their mirth, with a reprimand of Bernier for his
^na^tentipn to the task assigned him. This musician died
^t Paris in 1734. His five books of Cantatas and Songs
for one and two voices, the words of Which were written
by Rousseau and Fuselier, have procured him great reputa-
tion. There are besides, of his composition, ^^ Les Nuits
d^ Sceaux,'' and many motets, which are still much ap-
proved of. * ,
BERNINI (John Laurence), called the Cavalier Ber-
K-iN, and by some styled the modern Michael Angelo, be-
cause he united thb knowledge and practice of painting^
statuary, and architecture, owes his extensive, reputation
principally to his excellence in the latter branch. Hjs
> Bioff. Universelle.— Moreri. — Diet Hist,
s fiief . UoivcrteUe,— Diet. Hifft.
B E tt N I N L tii
kAti l^€t€T Bernini, }0ft ^TvtBcauf wfa(Sn ycmitff^ tki^ ##M
ldrRo«ie to dtudy paintkig and liculptiAi^. Haying alcqtlired
•(msklefable ^kiH in both, ke removed id NApled, and pra^i
filled with great succei^!(. Therein 1598^ hh stii, tfaesnb^
j^f df thisr ni^emoir, was bofn^ athd frbiti hit^ ^'riiest yt^ri
iistovered al surprising capacity for the fine nit% bavrfig srf
the age of eight executed a head in ma^Me, Which Mvsti
doni^idei^ed as a prodigy. His* fETther, deiii^oos of ^dti^
fHfift^ m promising a g^niu^, brdtigfct Mm to^ Rome, ivfd
Jaiparted to him a taste for the greaf ttiastei's^' wbicb' h^
ttvet altogether lost, dthough in thef sequeT be Aid iicA
follow their tra<;k. The pope expressed' k' d^ire to si^^
Ais extraiOfdi'Aary child who had astotish^d tht artist. atM
#hen introduced, asked him if he knew how to i^ketcb i
head,---<< Whose head ?'' said Berriini.--" You^ know iBk€j!i
tKf^ to drftw any 5 tet it be tbA« of St Paul/* t^pli4id th#
pope. The boy performed^ tibe task be^re hiih in abbnt
half ati- hbuy, a(nd the pope, ehehsLnted^ with the specimenl
#ecbiiiittended him wailnty to cardinal Barberinj, that cele^
Irated ^ron of the arts. « Drrect his stndiesi,'* added HQ
AoKnesB, ** atid he will becoiiM the Michael A'tlgelo oi^ the
Ibge.''^ About the ^ame time,- ba^pening to be in St. Pe^i
%t^s church, with Annibal Car^^h^^ and sotne 6l£^er odf^i
brated artists^ Garrache, looking to the cupola, saM' it wdtild
be very desirable to find a man of genius great enough id
lorm and erect two objects- in the middle, and at the eiid
tf tbat temple, which should correspond to ife diraenfsibnsi'^
The young Bernini instat^tly excliatimed wkh eiltbu^iaintt;
^*'Would I were that man," little thinking thsrt^ohe day he
#a8 t6 fulfil Carrache's wish.
One of Bernini's first works w^i^ a portfaJtm riJiVMe of
Ike prelate Montajo, a likeness sb sitt-iking, tlntt it ^i
laid fo be Montajo petrified. Hie afterwards mtfdt; busttf
^the pbpe^ some of the cardinals^ and sothe la¥g^ figtrrei/
aA%¥ nature ; a St. Laurence, a groupe ef MntA M& Att^
cbisesj aiid Datid about 16 sling the s^ht at GbliatB, of
#ht<Hi'OQr gfeat artist sit' Joshua Reyn6ldrf.o*ta(*rve^, thaif
Bernini has given a very mean eipre^sion to DkiitJ, I'eptc?-**
ifenting him a^ biting his unddr Up, which is hV from bein^
a? ge^erai expression, and sfiH farther frontf being digni^*
fi*d; btit BeHiini, who was as yet young, ihijghti haVe s^etf
it iii 6iie^ or two instances,* ahd mistook accident' it>r gehe*'
rtKtyl fte' wus but in his eighteenth year when he ex^-?*
N Gtj^kfi his A^oUa a^d' S^^pbtne, a work, from \thicfa> as* sir
Vol. V. r
114 BERNINI.
Joshua remarks, the world justly expected he would riral
]fhe best productioos of ancient Greece, but this was not
iiltiaiately the case. ' ^ We are told, however, that when,
about the close of his life, he surveyed this groupe, he
allowed that since that time he had made very litt)e prQ^
gress. In truth his style was now more pure, and had less
pf mannej^ in it than afterwards.
His success in the mean time was great, and Gregory
^y. who succeeded Paul V. being equally struck with his
pierit, created him a knight; but it was left for cardinal
Barberini^ when he came to the pontificate, to complete
Bernini's good fortune. Immediately after that event he
said to Bernini, ^^ If you are happy to see me pope, I am
more proud yet that you live under my pontificate,^' and
from that time began to employ him in designs for emrbel*
lishing. Ri^ne, and gave him a pension of thr^e hundred
crowns per month. Without altogether quitting statuary,
therefore, Bernini now employed his talents on arghitec-
ture, and recollecting Carrache's wish, he designed the
panopy for the principal altar, called the confessional of
St. Peter, supported by four wreathed columns, (enriched
with figi^res and ornaments of exquisite taste. When tliis
inagijiiticent work was completed, in about nine ye^rs, the
pope rewarded him with six thousand crowns, besides in-
creasing his pensions, and extending his liberality to Ber- ,
nini's brothers. Another work of his was the fountain of
Barcaccia, which has been praised more than it merits,- at
least it is inferior to that of the Barberini palace.
It would be perhaps tedious to enumerate all tlie produc-
tions of Bernini's genius at this time, but the following are
the principal : the Barberini palace ; the campanile. of St.
Ipeter ; the model of the tomb of the countess Matilda,
which. was executed by his pupils; and that of his bene-
factor pope Urban VIII. When his reputation reached .
. England, Charles j^ was desirous of having a bust of h^m«*
sejf by an artist of -si^ch eminenef , and sent him three por-
traits by Vandyke of different positions. By this means
Bernini was enabled to make an excellent likeness^ with,
which the king was so pleased that he took from his finger
a diamond ring valued at six thousand crowns, and sent it
tp Bernini to adorn the hand that could perform such won-
ders. About the same time an Englishman came to Italy,
and had his bust executed by our artist, for which he also
p^^d six thousand crowns. The bust of Charles L was ori-
»t
BERNINI. Ill
*
ginally placed in Greenwich ho^ital, but is now in West-
miaster hall, in a circular recess over the stairs^ leading to
the chancellor's chamber, between the court of chancery
tod that of the king's bench, yet it is doubted whether this
be really Bernini's celebrated bust, or only one taken from
it. Vertue was of opinion that the bust now existing was
of an eiarlier date, and that Bernini's was destroyed during
the civil war.
In 1644, cardinal Mazarin, who had knoivn Bernini at
Rome, endeai^oured, but in vain, to induce him to visit
France, and offered him, oh the part of Louis XIV. places
to the value of 12,000 crowns. Yet he was not happy at
home. When Urban YIII. his steady patron, died, and
Innocent X. succeeded, envy at his superior talents and
high favour with the pontiff, began to appear. The
campanile vi^ich he had constructed for St Peter's, over
the portico, whicb it appeared was not on a secure founda-
tion, threatened to fall, and immediately it was indus«
triously reported that the weight of the campanile would'
endanger the portic^, and perhaps even the dome itself.
Although all this was exaggerated, it became necessary to re-
move tha campanile, and the enemies of Beniini tridmphed,
while the pope, prejudiced against him, deprived him of one
part of his labours, and allowed the rest to be suspended.'
In the mean time he executed for the church of St. Mary
the fine groupe bf St. Theresa and the angel, one of his
iffiost admired works ; and became at length a favourite
with the pope by a stratagem of his ho(iness's nephew.
The pope, having an intention of building a new fountain
in the piazza Navona, consulted all the artists of Rome,
with the exception of Bernini, whom he affected to forget ;
but bis nephew prince Ludovisi having procured a model
from our artist, contrived to shew it to the pope, who was
so much struck with it, as to receive Bernini into favour,
and appoint him to the work, which he executed with his
usual taste. About the same time he built the palace of
Monte Citorio.
Alexander YII. who succeeded pope Innocent X. and
who had a high respect for Bernini, and was au encoura|^et
of the arts, requested him to make a design for the further
decoration of St. Peter's, which produced the celebrated
<^ircular colonnade, so appropriate to the building as to
seem part of the scheme of the original architect. He
was not, however, so successful in the composition 6f th#L
12
U9 BERNINI.
I 4
pulpit of St. Peter\ ^uppoirted by colossal figures irepre*
^nti^g t!^e four doctors of tb^ cborcb, which, aUhough
^tered from bis first model, has neither tbe freedom oqr
ipirit of bi« other works ; among whicb may now be eou^
piflirated the Qdecbalehi palace, the rotunda. of St BJtccio,
and tbe noviciate of tbe Jesuits at Monte Cavailo.
jA^ltfaougb he had refused to come to France, Louts XIV«
was still desirous to avail himself of his talents, as well as
^ pay him a compUmenJt, by consulting him oa tbe reato-
lation of tbe Louvre. His miaisier, Colbert,, aeeordingty
^fiant biin the plans of ^at palaee^ sad requested htm to put
9jj>on pa^er ^* s^me. of those admirable thoughts which waere
so ^miliar to. bim.'' Berpiui tmmediateiy made a sketch
iox the new baiiding, which afforded so miMh.satisfaetioii
to thie king, that^ be wrote to.infoj^m him of the very great
4esUe he ha4 to s^e, and become acquainted, with so
iilusArious a character, provided this d^d not interfere
with bis e^agagements to the pope, or hk personal com^
ifenience. Such condesc^ision. our artist could no k>ngei
r^ist; and although now in his sixty-eighth year, departed
from Romte> in 1665, with oae of bis sons, two of his
pupils, and a. numerous suite. No arlust ever travelled
with so much pomp or pleasure. AU the princes through
whose dominions he passed loaded him with presents. In
Fraace he W9» received and complimented, by the magia-*
t^rates at tbe gates of each city, and that even at Lyons,
where it. was customary to restrict such a compliment to
princes of the blood only.. As he appvoaohed Paris, the
king's nmiir^ (V hotel was seat to meet him, with ioatruc-
tlQDs to d/) tha honours of receiving, him and conductiii|f
him every where. This gentleman, M. de €hauteloo, wa*
SQ sensible of the importance of bis eomiiHsaioafty that be
wrote a journal of alt his proceedings while ia ampanyi
with Berniui, a curious work still preserved, in. mamiscript*
Oa bis arrival, our artist was conducted to. a hotel prepared
for him, and where Colbert visited him m representative
of tbe king, to whom he was afterwards introduced at St^
QeiHaaains, received wilh great honour,, had a long, coaver-
sation with the kiiig, and,, as. well as his son,, was admitted
to the minister'a table*
Bernim now began bis operations on. the Louvre, bnt he»
di^d not see, as has been reported, .Pernuilt's celebrated
GolQnn^d^ the d^ign of which was not presented to the
untU aftef his. depactuse, qos was it finished until fii»
BERNINI. 117
ytEts nfter, so that die surprize with which it Li said t6
have struck him, and the liberal praise he bestowed tipii^h
it, to which Voltaire has given currency in his poems^ at%
fouiided on a mistake. During Bernini's five months resi^
dence at Paris, he laid the foundation, from his own de^
sign, of the colonnade of the Louvre, which was to joth it
t& the Tuileries by a gallery ; but as this could have beeti
executed only by destroying all that had been already buih,
Pe^^rault's plan was afterwards adopted. Tti the mean time,
t^ made a bust of Louis XIV. who frequently sat to hifAy
ind took pleasure in his conversation, which sometimes
appears to have been rather familiar. One day after hi&
majesty had sat a whole hour, the artist, delighted with sd
great an honour, exclaimed ^' A miracle ! a great monal!>chy
young, and a Frenchman, has sat quiet for an hour!^
Another time, wishing to see mort of the king's forehead,
he put back the curls of hair which covered the place, and
said, ** Your majesty can shew your face to all the world;*'
and the courtiers, always intent upon some frivolous com^
jdiment, made a fashion of this disposition of die hair,
which they called ** la coeffure i la Bemin'*
Bernini, however, was not wholly reconciled to his er-
rand here. The great work for which he came was not
carried on after bis designs, and he is said to have met
with some disgust, which inclined him to return to Rome.
Accordingly, on pretence that the pope required his pre**
sence, he took leave of the king, who made him a
present of ten thousand crowns, and settled a pension on
him of two thousand, and another of four hundred on his
son. The expenses of his return were also defrayed by his
majesty, who, with a view to immortalize the visit, caused
a medal to be struck, with a portrait of the artist, and o^
the reverse the muses of his art, with this inscription,
" Singularis in singulis, in omnibus unicus?"^ Before his
departure, Bernini engaged to make an equestrian status
of Louis XIV. in marble, and of colossal proportion, which
he finished in four years ; but whether from its having no
resemblance of the king, or from some fault found with
the composition, it was, soon after its arrival, changed into
Curtius leaping into the gulph, and is now in the gar*
dens at Versailles.
On his return to Rome, he was received with the great-
est demonstrations of joy, and the pope appointed his son
canoa of St. Maria Maggiore^ and gave him several bene*^
118 BERNINI.
{fices. Cardinal Rospigliosi having become pope by the
title of Clement IX. Bernini was admitted into his favour,
and employed in several works, particularly the embellish-
ment of the bridge of St. Angelo, and when he Had at-
tained his seventieth year, he executed one of bis master-
pieces, the tomb of Alexander Y II. At the age of eighty,
.he made a beautiful demi-figure in bas-relief, for Christina
queen of Sweden, of our Saviour. Being even after this
engaged on some architectural works, particularly the re-
pairs of the old palace of the chancery, he applied himself
with so much zeal and ardour, as to injure his health. He
became restless and weak, and at length totally exhausted,
dying Nov. 28, 1680, in the eighty-second year of his
age. He was interred in the church of St. Maria Maggiore,
with great pomp. By his will, he left to the pope a large
painting of our Saviour, executed by himself when he
practised that art formerly ; and to the queen of Sweden,
the piece of sculpture we have just mentioned, which her
majesty had refused before, thinking she could not afford
to pay for it. He left to his children a statue of Truth,
and a fortune of 409,000 Roman crowns.
Bernini was of an ordinary person and dark complexion ;
his face indicated genius ; his look was lively and sprightly,
but strongly expressive, when in anger. Although of a
fiery temperament, he could not bear the rays of the sun
without being incommoded. His health was very delicate
until he arrived at his fortieth year, but after that it ap-
peared confirmed, and he bore the greatest fatigrues of
body and mind, without being vbited by any illness, . dur«
ing the whole of his long life. In his diet he was tem-
perate, except in the article of fruit. He spoke guardedly
of the works of other artists, and with great modesty of his
own. Of the antique statues he gave the preference to the
Laocoon, and to the Torso ; and used thus to class the
great painter9, Raphael, Corregio, Titian, Annib&l Car-
rache, &p.
As an artist, altliough he must ever stand high, yet his
reputation did not increase with his years. He was of
ppinion that in order to be distinguished, the artist must
place himself above all rules, and strike out a new path for
himself, and this he certainly did in some degree, but his
success was neither uniform nor permanent. But his own
confessions, when at the close of life he reviewed bis
works, are sufficient to silence all critticism. He then dis-
B E R N I N I. 11&
coiFcred that in endeavouring to remove from his^mind the
restraint of rules, and all imitation of the antique and of
nature, he fell into a manner ; that he mistook facility of
execution for the inspiration of genius, and that in endea-
vouring to heighten the expression of the graceful, he be-
came affected, and encumbered beauty with a superfluity
of ornament. In the mean time, however, the vast ioflu*
ence of his name produced many imitators, and his merit,
great as it may still be seen in his existing works, was ra-
ther unfavourable to the advancement of the arts. The
memoirs of Charles Perrault, published in 1759, contain
many curious particulars of Bernini. ^
BERNIS (Francis Joachim de Pierres), count of
Lyons, and a cardinal and statesman of France, was bom
at Marcel del'Ardeche, May 22, 1715, of a noble and
ancient family, but not very rich ; which circumstance
induced his friends to bring him up to the church, as the
most likely profession in which he might rise. In this they
were not disappointed^ as he gradually attained the highest
ecclesiastical dignities. When young he was placed at
the seminary, of St? Sulpice in Paris, and after, remaining
there some years, he appeared in the world with every
personal accomplishment that could introduce |iim into
notice ; but his morals appear to have been for some time
an obstruction ta promotion. The cardinal de Fleury,
then prime-minister, who had the patronage of all favours,
and who had promised him his countenance, thinking him
of a spirit too worldly for the church, sent for him and
gave him a lecture on his dissipated conduct, concluding
with these words : *^ You can have no expectations of pro-
motion, while I live,'* to which the young abb^ Bernis,
making a profound bow, replied, "Sir, I can wait!"
Some think this bon moty which became very current, was
not'Oiriginal ; but it is certain that Bernis remained for a
long while in a state not far removed from poverty, and
yet- contrived, by means of strict parsimony, to make a
decent figure at the houses to which he was invited.
Being a -writer of verses, and consequently a dealer in
compliments, he was always acceptable, and at length by
madaine Pompadour's interest, was introduced to Louis XV.
The good effects of this, at first, were only an apartment
> BJ«g. t7niy«rseIle.-*>Dict. Hist— M»reri. — Reynolds^a Worlu, roh I. p. 87 ;
II. p. 27.-^Pennaiit's Hist, of London. — ^Dodd's C&urcb History, Tol. UL p. 98.
-«>Walpole'f Flthsters.
}gp B P R N I p.
in lih^ 'Jjuilerie^, to wbicb iHf p^troD^gs |id4ed ^e
ppd ^ pension of fifte^p bi;pdr/$d IJvre* ; yet it s^on led %•
g^e^r matt/ers. H^vi|[ig'been appointed ^.mb^^^dor t»
yieq^icp, |ie was retn.^rl^ed to^aye acquired the good ippiaicHi
Bjjii iCQiifidence of a $tat^ ratbeir di^cuU to pi^ase in apt-
ppintments of ti^is descripjuop^ ^d of this tt^ey gavi^ bim a
gtrong proof, iii a content t.bey bad with pope Bemedvpi^ XIV.
wbo appoipt^d j&eFni$ ag bis BiegQci^tor. On tbi9 occasioft
^be $ta^e of Veuipe approved tb^ cboic^, jtba oon^equcvtcf
pf yrbict^ W&lff tbat Berai^ ejected a recouciliatioo to Um
fentire $ati$faeti|0fi pf botb parties. On bis return) he bev
came a great favourite at court, aequired considerably in*
^pepc^, and ^% length, being ad«)iu<sd into the coaBcily
Wf^^ apppintfsd foreign minister. But in this situation h^
yf^% either unskilful or unfortunate; the disasters of the
seven ye$irs war, and the peace of 1763^ w^re laid to hii
c]:^arge \ but accprdiqg to OuoIqs, be'was less to blame than
^is cplle^gues, . a^d it is certain that in some instances hm
jjias been u^tiustly censured. It w^s said, in particulai^
tl^a( be ftrg)ied iQf a declaration of war against Prussia, b#9
pause Frederick the Gr^j^t ha4 rijdipuled his poetry in tlm
folipHring lin^,
^' Evitez de Bemis la sterile abondance ;**
but tb^ h^P W^s, that Bernis always cont(S)ided, in eoqucil^
fox ap alli^^npe with Pri^s^ia, and that in opppsitign ^ th#
^el|-ki>pv)^n ^entipifents of Vpuis XV* and madame Poinpiia
^our. Tbe misfortunes of bis country, l^p^revefi indupp4
\^i^i tp T^^g^ « h\^ resignation \¥fu accepted, %nd hiai«e}f
es^il^d i ^ prppfy perhaps, th^t hi$ advice )i^d bee^ in ppv
l^p^itiop %Q the cpurt 6e this as it mayt be bore bis dia^
gi^ace )vi(b firmness, and whep th^ period pf his exile WM
over in 1764, be (bping already a cardinal) w^ prpn|Qil;§4
\y \\ip l^ipg t;p the archbishopric of Alby, apd^ve ye^m
ffter $ep( to Rome as aipbassadov. A cpp^ider^ible tiiim
qft^r t\4^t ^^ ^^ appointed prpt^p^or of ^be pbiirob^s 9f
Fr^nce« apd ^^P^ hi^ residence ^t ^ome, ^berf b§ rets
m^ii^ed sdmost tbe w)ioIe of his lifp, Xwo oppoftunitiqi
occurred in which he dempustrated his (alents for qegoei^rt
tion, tb^ cpnclaves of ^769 ^n4 U74. pp bad i^ hmdp
likewise, in the naipe of hi^ cpurt, bu( ^gain^t bis i|wil
opinion, in the dissolution of the Jesuits. During his re-
sidence at Rome, bis bouse was the general rendezvous of
strangers of distinction, and piany English trayf Upfi \^^$i
B E RrN I S. I2i
tfsttiiioiiy to the elegant iDnmiers and lios|Hk»Uty of tba
i^rdui^l de'BernU. Id 1791, itb^ aunts o^ Louis XVL
ifiv^u by the revolution from their family and couniry^
took up ti^ir ^boide with bim during their stay at Rome,
but tb»t «am^ revolutioo robbed him of bis powessions and
bis promotions, as be refused to take the oaths thenre^^
quired. In this distress, the court of Spain, at the s(riici«
tation of the chevalier d*Azara, settled a pension on him,
fvhicb be enjoyed but three years, dying at Rome Nov. 2^
}794, in the eightieth year of his age.
Aft a poet, t^e cardinal was very .early noticed, and hia
poems were so highly esteemed as to procure his being ad*
jg^t^d into tb^ French academy long before he had risea
^ the world. They have not, however, preserved their
reputation, and no person perhaps could judge more
feverely of them, than the cardinal himself, of whose
^ents they certainly were not worthy, nor did he like to
b^r them mentioned. After his death a poem of his
composition wa$ published, ^^ Religion vengde,*' which was
«t least more becoming his rank thau his juvenile effusions*
{t contains some spirited passages and excellent sentiments^
but .has too much of the coldness and philosophy of age.
His early poems were censured for being overloaded with
gorgeous figures and flowers. Voltaire used to call him
Babei'^la^Bfntquetier€f the name of a fat nosegay woman,
who i:^ed to ply at the door of the Opera. In other re*
apects^ Voltaire had a high opinion of Bernis's talents, as
appears from their correspondence (published in 1799, 8vo.)
in which Bernis appears to great advantage, and very su*
perior to the flippant freedoms of his correspondent's style*
In 1790, a volume of Bemis' letters to M. Paris du Vemey,
was published at Paris ; but these are not very interesting,
iinless as exhibiting some agreeable features in his charac-'
tor. The cardinal's works, in prose and verse, have been
0ften printed, and form 2 vols. 8vo. or 18 mo. His poem
iHi Religion was magnificently printed by Bodoni in £ol»
and 4to. and Didot printed a beautiful edition of his corner
plete works in 1707, 8vo. ^
. BERNOULLI, the name of a family which has
produced a succession of learned men, eminent in the
ttudy of mathematics. Eight of its members, within the
ifiace of a century, have been particularly distinguished
1 Bio((. Univenelle.
12B B E R IJ O U L L I.
\
%
in this scjence. The Bernouilli^s were originally of Ant-
werp, but were obliged to leave their country for the sake
of religion, daring the pereecution raised by the duke of
Alva. They then came to Francfort, and from that to
Basil, where some of them arrived at the chief offices of
the republic. The first who occurs in biographical collec-
tions is,
. BERNOULLI (James), who was born at Basil, Dec; 2T,
J 654. After he bad studied polite literature, he learned
the old philosophy of the schools ; and, having taken bis
degrees in the university of Basil, applied himself to di-
vinity, not so much from inclination, as complaisance to
bis father. He gave very early proofs of his genius for
mathematics, and soon became a geometrician, without any
assistance from masters, and at first almost without boots :
for he was not allowed to have any books of this kind ; and
if one fell by chance into his hands, he was obliged to con*».
ceal it, that he might not incur the displeasure of bis fa«
tber, who designed him for other studies. This severity
made him choose for his device. Phaeton driving the cha-
riot of the sun, with these words, ^^ Invito patre sidera
vTerso," ^^ I traverse the stars against my father's inclina-
tion :^' it had a particular reference to astronomy, the part
of mathematics to which be at first applied himself. But
these precautions did not avail, for he pursued his fia.-
vourite study with great application. In 1676 he began
his travels. When he was at Geneva, he fell u|>on a me-
thod to teach a young girl to write, though she had lost
her sight when she was but two months old. At Bottr"-
deaux he composed universal gnomonic tables, but they
were never published. He returned from France to his
qwn country in 1680. About this time there appeared a
comet, the return of which he foretold, and wrote a small
treatise upon it, which he afterwards translated into Latin.
He. went soon after to Holland, where he applied himself
to the new philosophy, and particularly to that part of the
mathematics which consists in resolving problems and de-
monstrations. After having visited Flanders and Brabant,
he went to Calais, and passed over to England. At Lon-
don be contracted an acquaintance with all the most emi-
nent men in the several sciences ; and had the honour of
being frequently present at the philosophical societies held
at the house of Mr. Boyle. He returned to his native
country in 1682 } and exhibited at Basil a course of expe-*
BERNOULLI 12$
riments. in natural philosophy and mechaflics, which con-
sisted of a variety of new discoveries. The same year he
published his " Essay on a new system of Comets ;^' and
■the year following, his " Dissertation on the weight of the
Air." About this time Leibnitz having published, in the
Acta Eruditoram at Leipsic, some essays on his new ^* Cal-
culus Difierentialis/' but concealing the art and method
of it, Mr. Bernoulli and his brother John discovered, by
the little which they saw, the beauty and extent of it : this
induced them to endeavour to^ unravel the secret ; whicli
they did with such success, that Leibnitz declared that the
invention belonged to them as much as to himself.
In 1687, James Bernoulli succeeded to the professorship
of mathematics at Basil ; a trust which he discharged with
great applause ; and his reputation drew a great number
of foreigners from all parts to attend his lectures. In 1 699
he was admitted a foreign member of the Academy of
Sciences of Paris; and in 1701 the same honour was con--
ferred upon him by the Academy of Berlin : in both of
which be published several ingenious compositions, about
the years 1702, 3, and 4. He wrote also several pieces in
the " Acta Eruditorum" of Leipsic, and in the " Journal
des S^avans." His intense application to study brought
upon him the gout, and by degrees a slow fever, which
put a period to his life the 16th of August 1705, in the
£l8tyear of his age. — Archimedes having found out the
proportion of a sphere and its circumscribing cylinder,
ordered them to be engraven on his monument : in imita-
tion of him, Bernoalli appointed that a logarithmic spiral
curve should be inscribed on his tomb, with these words^
^^ Eadem mutata resurgo ;" in allusion to the hopes of the
resurrection, which are in some measure represented by
the. properties of that curve, which he had the honour of
discovering.
James Bernoulli had an excellent geniu» for invention
and elegant shnplicity, as well as a close application. He
was emineiitly skilled in all the branches of the mathema-*
tics^ and (contributed much to the promoting the new ana-
lyBis, infinite series, &c. He carried to a great height
the theory of the quadrature of the parabola ; the geo^^rj
of carve lines, of spirals, of cycloids and epicycloids. His
works, that bad been published, were collected, and printed
in 2 volumes 4to, at Geneva in 1744. At the time of his
death he was occupied on a great work entitled ^^ De Arte
/
124
JBERNOULLL
Conjectandi/* which was published in 4to, in 1713. It
contains one of the best and most elegant introductions to
Infinite Series, &c. This posthumous work is omitted in
the collection of his works above mentioned, as is a letter
of his printed fur the first time by M. Bossut in the *^ Jour-
jDal de Physique/' Sept. 1792.*
BERNOULLI (John), the brother of the preceding,
and a celebrated mathematician, was bom at Basil the 7th
pf August 1667. His father intended him for trade; but
his own inclination was at first for the belles-lettres, which
however, like his brother, he left for mathematics. Hi^
laboured with his brother to discover the method used by
Leibnitz, in his essays on the Differential Calculus, and
gave the fi^rst principles of the Integral Calcalus. Our
author, with messieurs Huygens and Leibnitz, was the first
who gave the solution of the problem proposed by James
Bernoulli, concerning the catenary, or curve formed by a
chain suspended by its two extremities.
John Bernoulli had the degree of doctor of physic at
Basil, and two years afterward was named profassor of
mathematics in the university of Groningen. It was here
that he discovered the mercurial phosphorus or luminouft
barometer ; and where he resolved the problem proposed
by his brother^concerning Isoperimetricals. On the death
of his brother James, the professor at Basil, our author re*
turned to his native country, against the pressing invita^
tions of the magistrates of Utrecht to come to that city,
and of the university of Groningen, who wished to detain
him. The academic senate of Basil soon appointed him to
succeed his brother, without assembling competitors, and
contrary to the established practice : an appointment which
be held during bis whole life.
In 1714 was published his treatise on *^ the management
of Ships;" and in 1730, his memoir on '^ the elliptical
figure of the Planets'' gained the prize of the academy of
sciences. The same academy also divided the prize, fot
their question concerning the inclination of the planetary
orbits, between our author and his son Daniel. John Ber*
jQOuUi was a member of most of the academies of Europe,
and feceived as a foreign associate of that of Paris in 1699.
After a long life spent m constant study and improvement
,of all the brances of the mathematics, he died full of
r
1 Gen. Dict.—Moreri.— >Bio;. Uaiv.«*8axu Onomuticon.'— Hutton's BCath.
Pictionary.
BERNOULLL I3«
bonoure the first of Janoary 1748, in the Sl'st 3rear of bw
age. Of five sons wbicb be bad, three pursaed the samd
sciences with biinself. One of these died befoi'e him ; the
two others, Nicolas and Daniel, he lived to see become
eminent and much respected in the same sciences. The
writings of this great man were dispersed through the pe*
riodicai memoirs of several academies, as well as in many
separate treatises. And the whole of them were carefully
collected and published at Lausanne and Geneva, 1742',
in 4 vols. 4to ; but this is still not quite perfect without his
correspondence with Leibnitz, published under the titled
^ GuL Leibnitii et Johan. Bemouillii commercium pbiioso^
phicum et matbematicum," Lausanne & Geneva> 1745^
2 vols. 4to. *
BERNOULLI (Daniel), a celebrated physician and
philosophy and son of John Beniouili last mentioned, wa^
born at Groningen Feb. the 9th, 1700, where his father
was then professor of mathematics. He was intended by
bis ikther for trade,^ but his genius led him to other pursuits.
He passed some time in Italy ; and at twenty-four years of
age he declined the honour offered him of becoming pre*^
sident of an academy intended to have been established at
Genoa; He spent several years with great credit at Pe**
tersburgh; and in 1733 returned to Basil, where hisftithef
was then professor of mathematics; and here our author
successively filled the chair of physic, of natural -and- of
specuiative philosophy. In his work ^^ Exercitationes Ma^.
thematic®,'' 1724, he took the only title be then had, vis.
** Son of John Bernoulli, - and never would suffer any othef
to be added to it. This work was published in Italy, while
he was*there on his travels ; and it classed him ii> the ranb
of iivvetitors. In his work,." Hydrodynamica,*' published
in 4to at Strasbourg, in 1738, to the same title was also*
added that g§ Meet. Prof. Basil.
Daniel Bemoulli wrote a multitude of other pieces, which^
have been published in the Mem. Acad, of Sciences ar
Paris, and in those of other academies. He gaiived and^
divided ten prizes from the academy of sciences^ which
w«K^ contended for by the most illustrious mathematicians-
in Europe. The only person who has had similar success*
of the same kind, is £uler, his countryman, disciple, rival*,
1. GeiK Piot-*«*M!iMreri.-^Bior Voir.— Saxii Oirofontieoii.— fliittoD*t Math.
Dictionary.
12(5 BERN a U L L I.
mad friend. His first prize fae gained at twenty-four yes^rs
«f agev In 1734 be divided one- with his father; wbicb
Iicirt the family union ; for the father considered the con*
teit itself as a want of respect ; and the son did not spf-*
ficiently conceal that he thought (what was really the
case) hi9 own piece better than bis father's. And besides,
be declared for Newton, against whom his father had con-
tended all bis life. In 1740 our author divided the prize^
f' Ou the Tides of the Sea,*" with Euler and Maclaurin,
The academy at the same time crowned a fourth picce,^
whose chief merit was that of being Cartesian ; but this was
the last public act of adoration paid by the academy tb the
authority of the author of the Vortices, which it had
obeyed too. long. In 1748 Daniel Bernoulli succeeded his
father John in the academy of sciences, who had succeeded
his brother James ; this place, since its first erectioiv in
1699, having never been without a Bernoulli to fill it.
Our author was extremely respected at Basil ; and to
bow to Daniel Bernoulli, when tbey met him in the streets,
was one of the first lessons which every father gave every
child. He was a man of great simplicity and modesty of
BiaoDers^ He used to tell two little adventures, whitrh he
sa^rd bad given him more pleasure than all the other bo«
Bours he had received. Travelling with a learned i^tranger,
who, being pleased with his conversation, asked his name ;
^\ I am Daniel Bernoulli," answered he with great mo*
d^sty ; '* And I,'* said the stranger (who thought he meant
tQ laugh at him), ^^ am Isaac Newton.^' Another time
having to dinner with him the celebrated Koenig the ma*
thematician, who boasted, with some degree of self-com-
placency, of a diffi^lt problem he had resolved with much
trouble, Bernoulli went on doing the honours of bis t^ble,
and when they went to drink coffee he presented Koenig
with a solution of the problem more elegant than his own.
After a long, useful, and honourable life, Daniel Bernoulli
died the L7th of March 1732, in the eighty •third year of
his age. *
BERNOULLI (John), the grandson of the preceding
John, was born at Basil Nov. 4, 1744, and died at Berliii
July 13, 1807. He studied at Basil and Neufchatel, at*
taching himself chiefly to philosophy, mathematics,' aud
1 Gen. Dict.->Moreri.-*-Biof . UniT.— ^xii OnomasticoB.-— Huttoa's Math.
thctioDfl^y.
BERNOULLI 127
ftfti*anomy. At the age of nineteen^ be was invited to th«
place of astronomer in the academy of Berlin, and some
years after, having obtained permission to travel, hevi^
sited Germany, England, and France, and in bis sabse-*
quent travels, Italy, Russia, Poland, &c. From the year
1779, he resided at Berlin, where he was appointed head
of the mathematical class of the academy. He was also a
member of the academies of Petersburgh and Stockholm,
and of the royal society of London. Like all the other
branches of his family, he was a laborious writer. The
following are the principal productions of his pen, I . ^^ Re-
cueil pour les Astronomes,'' 1772 — 76, 3 vols. 8vo. 2.
^ Lettres sur differents sujets, ecrites pendant le cours
d^un voyaged par TAilemagne, la Suisse, la France meri-
diooale, et PItalie,inl774. and 1775," 3 vols. 8vo.l777— 79.
3. *^ Description d'un Voyage en Prusse, en Russie, et eu
Pologne, en 1777 et 1778," first published in German,
1779; 6 vols, but afterwards in French, Warsaw, 1782. 4:
^^ Letlxes Astronomiques," 1781, according to our autho-
rity ; bttt he published a wock under this title about 1772y
after he had made a literary excursion in 17 $8 to England,
France, and Germany,, containing his observations on the
actual state* of practical astronomy at Gottingen, Cassel,
'^and other parts of Germany, and. at Greenwich, Oxford,
Cambridge, London, and Paris. 5. ^^ A collection of voy-
ages," in German, 16 vols. 1781—1785. 6. ^«*The Ar-
chives, or records of History and Geography," in German,
8 vols. 1783 — 1788. 7. " De la reforme. politique des
Juifs," translated from the German of Dohm, 1782, 12mo«
8. *^ Elemens d^Algebre d^Euler," from the German, Ly-
ons, 1785, 2 vols. 8vo. 9. *^ Nouvelles litteraires de divers
pais,'* Berlin, 1776 — 79, 8vo. He edited also, in con-
junction with professor Hindenburg, for three years, the
'^ Mathematical Magazine," and wrote many papers in the
Memoirs of the Berlin Academy, and the Astronomical
Ephemerides, published in Berlin. ^
BERNSTORF (John Hart wig Ernest, Count), minis*
ter of state in Denmark, was born at Hanover, May 13,1712.
Some relations he happened to have in Denmark invited
him thither, where his talents were soon noticed, and em-
ployed by the government .After having been ambassa-
dor in several courts, he was placed by Frederick V. at
, I Biof. UniTerielle^
t2S B E R N S T O R F.
the hedd of foreign affairs. During the seVen. ye«r» ihif
(175*5 — 62).he preserved a system of strict neutrality^ whidi
prored eminently serviceable to the comnnerce and intet'*-
nal prosperity of Denmark. In 4 761, when the^tcfkp&M
of Russia, Peter III. threatened Detima^rk with war, and
marched bis troops towardir Hoistein, Bemstorf txtttei
the utmost vigour in contriving means for the defence of
the country, attd the suddenf death of Peter banring averted
this istorm, be employed his skill in bringing about an al««
Kance between the courts of Copenhagen and St. Peters^
burgh. In 1767 he succeeded in concluding ar provisionai
treaty, by which the dukedom of Holstein,. which Paah^
the grand duke of Russia, inherited by the death of Petef
III. was excbangjed for Oldenburgh,. which belonged to.
the king of Denmark: This finally took place i» 1773^
and procured an important addition to the DaTtisfa^ terriw
tories; Soon after Bernstorf put a stop to thfe long cotitei^
that bad been maintained respecting the house of Hok^elA
having a right of sovereignty over Hamburgh, ancV tbttt c&ii^
1^13 declared independent oirbondition of not claittHJhg te^
payment of t^fae money the city had advanced to thie king of
Denmark and the dukes of Hoktein. These measarevcon-^
titibut^d highly to the reputation of count Bernstorf 'at •
politician, but perhaps he derived as* much credit fmm hit
conduct in othier refispects. He had acquired a large' estettf
in the neighbourhood of Copenhagen, the peasant? on
^sdxich, as was- the case in Denmark at tbat time, wei^
slaves, and transferred like other property. Bernsteri^
bowetei', not only gave them th^ir liberty,, but grais<Ded'
tfhem long^ leases, and encouraged them to eultivate th^
Land, and feel that they bad an interest in it^' Hiat^^naiMRi^
soon sensible ofi the humanity and wisdom^of his* eondaoiv
agreed to express their gratitude by eifecting. an obelisb
in honour of him on the side of the great road leading t(t
Copenhagen. Bernstorf was likewise a liberal patron of
manufactures, commerce, and the fiine arts. It was hd
who induced Fi^ederick V. to give a pension for life to t^he
poet Ktopstock* Ou the dea& of thatmonarci^ Be^mstorft
was continued in die ministry for the fiitst yeslitt- of cbtf
i>ew reiguy mitil LTTOv wbe» Struenzee being pfafco^ atf
the bead ofi the council;. Bernstorf was allowed to resigtti
vritb a pension. He then retired to Hamburgh^ but aftcNP
the catastrophe of Struenzee, be was recalled, and was
about to set out for Copenhagen when he died of an apo*
B E R N S T O H F. 129
plexy, Feb. 19, 1772. The political measures of this states-
man belong to history, but his private character has been
the theme of universal applause. Learned, social, affable^
generous, and high spirited, he preserved the affections
of all who knew him, and throughout his whole administra-
tion had the singular good fortune to enjoy at the same
time courtly favour and popular esteem. His nephew^
count Andrew Peter Bernstorf, who was bom in 1735, and
eventually succeeded him as foreign minister for Denmark^
displayed «qual zeal and knowledge in promoting the true
interests of his country, which yet repeats his name with
fervour and enthusiasm. It was particularly his object to
preserve the neutrality of Denmark, after the French re-
volution had provoked a combination of most of the powers
of Europe ; and as long as neutral rights were at all re-
spected, he succeeded in this wise measure. His state
papers on the " principles of the court of Denmark con-
cerning neutrality," in 1780, and his " Declaration to the
courts of Vienna and Berlin,'^ in 1792, were much adf-
mired. In private life he followed the steps of his uncle,
by a liberal patronage of J^rts, commerce, and manufactures,
and like him was as popular in the country as in the court.
He died Jan. 21, 1797.'
BERpALD, or BEROALDE (Matthevi^), was born at
St. Denis near Paris, and was educated at the college of
the cardinal Lemmne, where he made great proficiency in
the learned languages, and became an able theologian,
mathematician, philosopher, and historian. In 1550 he was
at Agen as preceptor to Hector Fregosa, afterwards bishop
of that city, and here he was converted to the Protestant
religion along with Scaliger and other learned nien. When
he arrived at Paris in 15'58, he was chosen preceptor to
Theodore Agrippa d'Aubign^ ; but the persecution arising,
he was arrested at Constance and condemned to be burnt,
a fate from which he was preserved by the kindness of an
officer who favoured his escape. He then went to Orleans,
Eochelle, and Sancerre^ and distinguished himself by his
courage during the siege of this latter place by the marshal
de Lachatre. In 1574 we find him at Geneva, officiating
as minister and professor of philosophy. His death is
supposed to have taken place in 1576. He wrote a curious
book entitled ^^ Chronicon, sacrae Scrip turse auctoritate
1 Biog. Universelle, ^c.
Vol. V. K
130 B E R O A L D,
constitutam,'' Geneva, 1575, fol. In this he maintainiJ that
all chronological authorities must be sought in the holy
3criptures. Vossius and Scaliger speak highly of his ta-
lents. Draudius, in his " BibliothecaClassica," mentions
another work in which he was concerned, " G. Mercatoris
et Matthei Beroaldi chronologia, ab initio mundi ex eclip-
sis et observationibus astronomicis demonstrata,'' Basil,
1577, Cologne, 1568, fol. We have some doubts whether
this is not the same as the work mentioned above. '
BEROALDE de Verville (Francis), son to the pre-
ceding, was born at Paris, April 28, 1558, and educated
in the principles of the reformed religion, but after his
father's death, returned to those of the church of Rome^
and became an ecclesiastic, having in 1593 obtained a
canonry of St. Gatien of Tours. From his youth he ap-
plied with enthusiasm to scientific pursuits, and was
scarcely twenty years old when he published in Latin and
French, Besson's " Theatre of mathematical and mechani-
cal instruments," with explanations. At that time, if he
may be credited, he had made many discoveries in mathe-
matics, was an expert watchmaker and goldsmith, and his
knowledge of the classics would have recommended him to
the place of tutor to the son of a person of rank : but he
was extremely vain, and perpetually flattering himself that
he possessed invaluable secrets, and had discovered the
philosopher's stone, perpetual motion, and the quadrature
of the circle. His works certainly show that he had accu-
mulated a considerable stock of various knowledge, but he
was very deficient in judgment His style is diffuse, and
so perplexed even in his poems, that his works have had
but few readers, and are in request only by the collectors
of curiosities. The greater part of these were collected
and published under the title of " Apprehensions spiri-
tuelles," Paris, 1583, 12mo: among them is a poem in
imitation of sir Thomas More's Utopia. His translation
of Columna's Hypnerotomachia is only that of John Mar-
tin altered and disfigured. Niceron has given a list of his
other works (vol. XXXIV.) among which are, 1. " Histoire
veritable, ou Le Voyage des Princes fortunes^" Paris, 1610^.
8vo. 2. " Le Cabinet de Minerve, &c." Rouen, 1601, 12mo.
3. " Moyen de parvenir," printed under the title of " Sal-
migondis/' and that of ^^ Coup-cu de la MeIancbolie>" a
^ Oea Diet.— Biof. VoiT.—Moreri.
'
BEROALDE. 131
collection of licentious tales/ in much request with a cer-
tain description of collectors. Beroalde's death is conjec-
tured to have happened in 1612. ^
BEROALDO (Philip), thft elder, one of the most emi-
nent schf lars of the fifteenth century, descended from an
ancient aind noble family of Bologna, was boirn there,
Dec. 7, 1453. Having lost his father in his infancy, he
was brought up by his mother with the greatest care, able
masters being provided for his education, whose pains he
rewarded by an uncommon proficiency, aided by an asto-
nishing memory. Besides the lessons which they gave him,
he studied so hard by himself, that at the age of eighteen,
he fell into a very dangerous disorder, from which he reco* ,
rered with much difficulty. When it was discovered that
he could learn nothing more irom his tutors, it was thought
that the best way to increase his knowledge was to employ
him in teaching others. When only nineteen, therefore,
he opened a school first at Bologna, and afterwards at
Parma and Milan. After continuing this for some time,
the high reputation of the university of Paris made hio^
very anxious to visit that city, which accordingly he ac-
complished, and gave public lectures for some months
to a very large auditory, some say, of six hundred scholars.
Every thing in science then was done by lecturing, and
Beroaldo, no doubt gratified by the applause he had met
with, would have remained longer at Paris had he not been,
recalled to his own country, his return to which created a
sort of public rejoicing. His jirst honour was to be ap-.
i)ointed professor of belles-lettres in the university of Bo*
ogna, which he retained all his life, and although he would
have been content with this, as the summit of his literary
ambition, yet this promotion was followed by civic honours.
In 1489 he was named one of the ancients of Bologna,
and some years after made one of a deputation from the
city, with Galeas Bentivoglio, to pope Alexander VI. He
was also for several years, secretary of the republic.
Amidst so much study and so many employments, Be-
roaldo had his relaxations, which do not add so much to
bis reputation. He was fond of the pleasures of the table,
and passionately addicted to play, to which he sacrificed
all he was worth. He was an ardent votary of the fair sex;
a.nd thought no pains nor expence too great for accomplish-
K 2
1S2 B E R O A L D 0.
ing his wishes. • He dreaded wedlock, both on his own ac*
count and that of his mother, whom he always tenderly
loved. But at length he found a lady to his mind, and all
those different passions that had agitated the youth of Be^
loaldo were appeased the moment he was marriied. The
mild and engaging manners of his bride inspiredhim with
prudence and ceconomy. Beroaldo was from that time
quite another man. Regular, gentle, polite, beneficent,
envious of no one, doing no one wrong, and speaking
no evil, giving merit its due, unambitious of honours, and
content with humbly accepting such as were offered him.
He had scarcely an enemy, except George Merula, whose
jealousy was roused by Beroaldo's admiration of Politiau,
whom himself once admired, and afterwards took every
opportunity to traduce as a scholar. Beroaldo^s weak state
of health brought on premature old age, and he died of a
fever, which was considered as too slight for advice, July
7,1505. His funeral, was uncommonly pompous; the body,
robed in silk and crowned with laurel, was followed by all
persons of literary or civic distinction at Bologna.
Beroaldo's chief merit was his publication of good edi-
tions of the ancient Roman authors, with learned commen-
taries. His own style, however, some critics think, is af-
fected, and more like^ that of his favourite Apuleius than
that of Cicero, and his judgment is rather inferior to bis
learning. Among his publications we may enumerate,
(referring to Niceron, vol. XXV. for the whole), 1. ^^Caii
Plinii historia naturalis,'' Parma, 1476,. Trevisa, 1479, and
Paris, 1516, all in fol. He was not more than nineteen
when he wrote the notes to this edition of Pliny, whom be
afterwards took up and meant to have given more ample
illustrations, but the copy on which he had written his notes
being stolen at Bologna, he expressed at his dying hour
his regret for the loss. 2. ^^ Annotationes in commentarios
Servii Virgilianos," Bologna, 1482, 4to. 3. " Propertii
opera cum commentariis," Bologna, 1487, Venice, 1493,
Paris, i 604, all in fol. 4. ^^ Annotationes in varios au-*
thores antiquos," Bologna, 1488, Venice, 1489, Brescia,
1496, fol. 5. f* Orationes," Paris, 1490, Lyons, 1490
and 1492, Bologna, 1491, &c. 6. A second collection,
entitled " Orationes, prefationes, praelectiones, &c." Pa-
ris, 1505, 1507 (or 1508), 1509, 1515, 4to. There are
in this collection some small pieces of other authors, but
near thirty by Beroaldo^ both in prose and verse. Besides
B E R O A L D O. ISS
these, our authority states^ that there have been six more
editions, and yet it is ranked among the rare books. 7.
** Declamatio ebriosi, scortatoris, et aleatoris," Bologna,
1499, Paris, 1505, 4to, &c. According to the title of a
French translation, for we have not seen this work, it is a
debate between a drunkard, gallant, and gamester, which
of them, as the worst character, ought to be disinherited
by his father. The French have two translations of it,
one a sort of paraphrase, Paris, 1556, 12mo, the other
versified by Gilbert Damalis, Lyons, 1558, 8vo. Besides
these, Beroaldo edited Suetonius, Apuleius, Aulus Gel-
lius, Lucan, and some other classics, with notes. — He had
a son, Vincent, who is ranked among the Bolognese wri-
ters, only for having given an explanation of all the words
employed by Bolognetti in his poem " II Constante." —
Bolognetti was his uterine brother, and he wrote these
explanations from the poem when in manuscript, and when
it consisted of twenty cantos, but as it consisted of sixteen
when published in 1566, his friend Maltacheti, to whom
he bequeathed his explanation, published only what re-
lated to these sixteen, under the title of " Dichiarazione
di tutte le voci proprie del Constante, &c." Bologna, 1570,
BEROALDO (Philip) the younger, a noble Bolognese,
was born at Bologna, Oct. 1, 1472. He was the nephew
and pupil of the elder Beroaldo, the subject of the pre«
ceding article, under whose instructions he made such
early proficiency in the Greek and Latin languages, that
in 1496, when he was only twenty-four years of age, he
was appointed public professor of polite literature at Bo*
logna. Having afterwards chosen the city of Rome as his
residence, he there attracted the notice of Leo X. then
cardinal de Medici, who received him into his service, as
his private secretary ; and when Leo arrived at the ponti-
ficate, Beroaldo was nominated president of the Roman
academy, but probably relinquished this office on being
appointed librarian of the Vatican. Bembo, Bibiena,
Molza, Flaminio, and other learned men of the time, were
his particular friends at Rome. He appeared also among
the admirers of the celebrated Roman courtesan Imperiali,
and is said to have been jealous of the superior pretensions
* Biog. Universelle.— -Moreri, — GresweU*9 Politian. — Bail let JuGremens des
C»vaQS«— Freytag's Adparatus I^itterarius. — Blounts Censura. — Saxit Oaopast,
134
BEROALDO.
of Sadoleti (afterwards cardinal) to her favour. The
warmth of his temperature, indeed, sufficiently appears in
some of his poems, but such was the taste of that age, and
particularly of the licentious court of Leo X. His death,
which happened in 1518, is said to have been occasioned
by some vexations which he experienced from that pontiff,
as librarian, but this seems doubtful.
He was equally learned with the elder Beroaldo, and
wrote with more taste, particularly in poetry, but he
was less laborious, his only productions being, 1. " Taciti
Anualium libri quinque priores," Rome, 1515, Lyons, 1542,
Paris, 1608, all in fol. This edition is dedicated to Leo X,
at whose request it was undertaken, and who gave five hun-
dred sequins for the manuscript, from which it was copied,
to Angelo Arcomboldo, who brought it from the abbey of
Corvey in Westphalia. Leo was likewise so pleased with
what Beroaldo had done, that he denounced the sentence
of excommunication, with the penalty of two hundred
ducats, and forfeiture of the books, against any persons who
should reprint the book within ten years without the ex-
press consent of the editor. The other books of Tacitus,
formerly published, are added to the editions above speci-
fied. 2. ** Odarum libri tres, et epigrammatum liber
unus," Rome, 1530, 4to. These were received with such
applause, particularly by the French nation, that he has
bad no less than six translators in that country, among-
whom is the celebrated Clement Marot. A part of them
were incorporated in the " Delitiae poet. Italorum" of
Toscano. *
BEROLDINGEN (Francis de), an eminent mineralo-
gist, was born at St. Gall, Oct. 11, 1740, and died March
8, 1798. He was acanon of Hildesheim and Osnaburgh,
a member of several literary societies, and had travelled
into various countries, to investigate the nature of the
soil, the structure of mountains, and their mineral produc-
tions. By this means he accumulated a great stock of in*
formation which has given a value to his works, notwith-
standing his inclination to hypotheses, and the indulgence
of certain prejudices. All his works are in German. Their
subjects are, 1. "Observations, doubts, and questions on
Mineralogy, &c." 2 vols. 1778 — 1793, 8vo. 2. "Ob-
servations made during a tour to the quicksilver naines of
> Biog. Universelle. — ^Roscoe's Leo.— Morcri.— Saxii Onomastlcon,
B E R G L D I N G E N. 135
the Palatinate, &c." Berlin, 1788, 8vo. 3. " The Vol-
canos of ancient and modern times considered physically
and mineralogically," Manheim, 1791, Svo. 4. " A new
theory on the Basaltes," printed in Crell's supplement to
the annals of Chemistry. 5. " A description of the foun-
tain of Dribourg," Ilildesheim, 1782, Svo. *
BEROSUS, priest of the temple oi: Belus at Babylon, in
the time of Ptolemy Pbiladelphus. He wrote the history
of Chaldea, which is frequently quoted by the ancients,
and of which some curious fragments are preserved to us
by Josephus ; but he attributed an ideal antiquity to his
country, and mingled his accounts with astrology. His
predictions, according to Pliny, induced the Athenians to
place a statue of him in their gymnasium with a gilded
tongue. Five bool^s of antiquities were printed under the
name of Benosus, Antwerp, 1545, Svo, by Annius Viterbo,
but they were soon discovered to be forgeries, *
BERQUIN (Arnaud), a miscellaneous French writer,
whose principal works are well-known in this country^
was born at Bourdeaux, about 1749, and made his first
appearance in the literary world in 1774, as the author of
some Idyls, admired for their delicacy and sensibility.
The same year he versified the " Pygmalion" of Rousseau ;
and after publishing in 1775, Svo, " Tableaux Anglais,'*
a translation of several English essays, he wrote some ro«
mances, of which-his " Genevieve de Brabant'* was reckon*
ed the best. He afterwards applied himself to the com-
position of books for children, particularly his '^Ami des
£nfans," which has been translatjed into English, his ^' Lec-
tures pour les Enfans, &c." and published translations of
^^ Sandford and Merton," and some other English books
calculated for the same purpose. All these are included
in the edition of his works published by M. Renouard, Pa-
ris, 1803, 20 vols. ISmo, except his *^ Tableaux Anglais.**
I'he ^^ Ami des Enfans," the most celebrated and popu*
lar of all his works, was honoured with the prize given by
the French academy for the most useful book that ap-
peared in 1784. He was for some time editor of the Mo-
niteur ; and, in conjunction with Messrs. Ginguen6 and
Grouvelle, conducted the " Feuille villageoise.'* la
' Biog. Universelle.
* Morcri. — Biog. Uaivers«Ue.— Dupii]»<«-Saxii Oaomaitico^.
136 B E R Q U I N.
1791, he was proposed as a candidate for tutor to the
Dauphin, but died the same year at Paris, Dec. 21.^
BERQUIN (Lewis De), a gentlemaa of Artois, and a
man of great learning, was burnt for being a Protestant,
at Paris, 1529. He was lord of a village, whence he took
his name, and for some time made a considerable figure at
the court of France, where he was honoured with the title
of king^s counsellor. Erasmus says, that his great crime
was openly professing to hate the monks ; and hence arose
bis warm contest with William Quernus, one of the most
violent inquisitors of his time. A charge of heresy was
contrived against him, the articles of his accusation being
extracted from a book which he had published, and he was
committed to prison, but when the affair came to a trials
he was acquitted by the judges. His accusers pretended
that he would not have escaped, had not the king inter*
posed his authority ; but Berquiu himself 'ascribed it en-
tirely to the justice of his cause, and went on with equal
courage in avowing his sentiments. Some time after, Noel
Beda and his emissaries made extracts from some of his
books, and having accused him of pernicious errors, he
was again sent to prison, and the cause being tried, sen*
tence was passed against him; viz. that his books be com-
mitted to the flames, that he retract his errors, and make
a proper submission, and if he refuse to comply, that he
be burnt. Being a man of an undaunted inflexible spirit,
he would submit to nothing ; and in all probability would
at this time have suffered death, had not some of the judges,
who perceived the violence of his accusers, procured the
af&ir to be again heard and examined** It is thought this
was owing to the intercession of madame the regent. In the
mean time Francisl. returning from Spain, and finding the
danger his counsellor was in from Beda and his faction, wrote
to the parliament, telUng them to be cautious how they
proceeded, for that he himself would take cognizance of
the affair. Soon after Berquin was set sit liberty, which
gave him such courage, that he turned accuser against his
accusers, and prosecuted them for irreligion, though, if he
had taken the advice of Erasmus, l^e would have esteemed
it a suflicient triumph that he had got free from the per^
secution of such people. He was sent a third time to pri-
} Biog. UniveneUe.-y^Dict. Hist.
B E K Q U I N. 137
son, and condemned to a public recantation and perpetual
imprisonment. Refusing to acquiesce in this judgment,
he was condemned as an obstinate heretic, strangled on the
Greve, and afterwards burnt. He suffered death with
great constancy and resolution, April 17, 1529, being then
about 40 years of age. The monk, who accompanied him
on 'the scaffold, declared, that he had observed in him
signs of abjuration : which Erasmus however believes to be
a falsehood. *^ It is always," says he, " their custom in
like cases. These pious frauds serve to keep up their
credit as the avengers of religion, and to justify to the
deluded people those who have accused and condemned
the burnt heretic." Among his works are, I.**' hevvBi
moyen de bien et catholiquement se confesser," a transla*
tion from the Latin of Erasmus, Lyons, 1542, 16mo. 2.
** Le Chevalier Chretien," 1542, another translation ft*om
Erasmus. Of his other writings, we have some account in
the following extract from Chevillier's History of Printing,
" In 1523, May 23, the parliament ordered the books of
Lewis de Berquin to be seized, and communicated to the
faculty of divinity, for their opinion. The book " De'ab-
rogand^ Miss^^' was found upon him, with some others of
Luther's and Melancthon's books; and seven or eight
treatises of which he was the author, some under these
titles : " Speculum Theologastrorum ;" " De usu & ofHcio
Missae, &c." ** Rationed Lutheri quibus omnes Christianos
esse Sacerdotes molitur suadere," ** Le D6bat de Pi6t6 &
Superstition." There were found also some books which
he had translated into French, as ** Reasons why Luther
has caused the Decretals and all the books of the Canon
Law to be burnt ;" " The Roman Triad," and others. The
&iculty, after having examined these books, judged that
they contained expressly the heresies and blasphemies of
Luther. Their opinion is"dated Friday, July 26, 1523, and
addressed to the court of parliament. After having.given
their censure upon each book in particular, they conclude
that they ought all to be cast into the 6re ; that Berquin
having made himself the defender of the Lutheran here-
sies, be ought to be obliged to a public abjuration, and to
be forbidden to compose any book for the future, or to
makp any translation prejudicial to the faith." \
I (Jen. pict— 'Foppen Bibl. Bejgica,— Moreri.
ns B E R R E T I N I.
BERRETINI (Pietro) PA CORTONA, an eminent
artist, was born at Cortona, in 1596, and according to
some writers, was a disciple of Andrea Commodi, though
ottiers affirm that he was the disciple of Baccio Ciarpi ; and
Argenville says, he was successively the disciple of both.
He went young to Rome, and applied himself diligently to
^tudy the antiques, the works of Raphael, . Buonaroti, and
Polidoro ; by which he so improved his taste and his hand,
that he distinguished himself in .a degree superior to any
of the artists of his time. And it >seemed astonishing that
two such noble designs as were the Rape of the Sabines,
and the Battle of Alexander, which he painted in the Pa«
lazzo Sacchetti, could be the product of so young an
artist, when it was observed, that for invention, disposi-
tion, elevation of thought, and an excellent tone of colour,
they were equal to the performances of the best masters*
He worked with remarkable ease and freedom ; his figures
are admirably grouped ; his distribution is elegant; and the
Chiaroscuro is judiciously observed. Nothing can be more
grand than his ornaments ; and where landscape is intro*
duced, it is designed in a superior taste ; and through his
whole compositions there appears an uncommon grace.
But De Pile^ observes, that it was not such a grace as wa»
the portion of Raphael and Correggio ; but a general grace,
consisting rather in a habit of making the airs of his heads
always agreeable, than in a choice of expressions suitable
to each subject By the best judges it seems to be agreed,
that although this master was frequently incorrect ; though
not always judicious in his expressions ; though irregular
in his draperies, and- apt to design his figures too short '
and too heavy ; yet, by the magniticence of his composi-
tion, the delicate airs of his faces, tlie grandeur of his de-
corations, and the astonishing suavity and gracefulness of
the whole together, he must be allowed to have been the
most agreeable mannerist that any age hath produced. He
bad an eye for colour; but his colouring in fresco is far
superior to what he performed in oil ; nor do his easel pic-*
tures appear as finished as might be expected from so great
a master, when compared what what he painted in a larger
size. Some of the most capital wbvks of Pietro, in fresco,
are in the Barber ini palace at Rome, and the Palazzo Pitti
at Florence. Of his oil-pictures, perhaps none excels the
altar-piece of Ananias healing St. Paul, in the church of
B E R R E T I N I. 13d
the Concezione at Rome. Alexander VII. created him
knight of the golden spur. The grand duke Ferdinand IL
also conferred on him several marks of his esteem. That
prince one day admiring the figure of a cjiild weeping,
which he had just painted, he only gave it one touch of
the pencil, and it appeared laughing ; then, with another
touch, he put it in its former state ; " Prince," said Berre-
tini, ** you see how easily children laugh and cry." He
was so laborious, that the gout, with whicii he was tor-
mented, did not prevent him from working ; but his seden-
tary life, in conjunction with his extreme application,
augmented that cruel disease, of which he died in 1669.'
BERRIMAN (William), a pious and learned English
divine, was borri in London, September 24, 1688. Hi»
father, John Berrimah, was an apothecary in Bishopsgate-
street; and his grandfather, the reverend Mr. Berriman,
was rector of Bedington, in the county of Surrey. His
grammatical education he received partly at Banbury, in
Oxfordshire, and partly at Merchant-taylors' school, Lon-
don. At seventeen years of age he was entered a com-
moner at Oriel college, in Oxford, where he prosecuted
his studies with great assiduity and success, acquiring a
critical skill in the Greek, Hebrew, Chaldee, Arabic, and
Syriac. In the interpretation of the Scriptures, he did not
attend to that momentary light which fancy and imagina-
tion seemed to flash upon them, but endeavoured to e:^plain
them by the rules of grammar, criticism, logic, and the
analogy of faith. The articles of doctrine and discipline
which he drew from the sacred writings, he traced through
the primitive church, and Confirmed by the evidence of
the fathers, and the decisions of the more generally re-
ceived councils. On the 2d of June, 1711, Mr. Berriman.
was admitted to the degree of master of arts. After he
left the university, he officiated, for some time, as curate
and lecturer of Allhallows in Thames-street, and lecturer
of St Michael's, Queenhithe. The first occasion of his
appearing in print arose from the Trinitarian controversy.
He published, in 1719, *^ A seasonable review of Mr. Whis-
ton's account of Primitive Doxologies," which was followed,
in the same year, by " A second review.'* These pieces
recommended him so effectually to the notice of Dr. Ro-
binson, bishop of London, that in 1720, he was appointed
. ^ PilkiDgtoD*— D'Ar^anville^ £&c«
140
B E R R I M A N,
his lordship's domestic chaplain ; and so well satisfied wad
that prelate with Mr. Berriman's integrityi abilities, and
application, that he consulted and entrusted him in most
of his spiritual and secular concerns. As a further proof
of his approbation, the bishop collated him, in April 1722^
to the living of St. Andrew-Undershaft. On the 25th of
June, in the same year, he accumulated, at Oxford, the
degrees of bachelor and doctor in divinity. In 1723, Dr.
Berriman lost his patron^ the bishop 6f London, who, in
testimony of his regard to his chaplain, bequeathed hin^
the fifth part of his large and valuable library. In conse*
quence of the evidence our learned divine had already
given of his zeal and ability in defending the commonly-
received doctrine of the Triility, he was ajppointed to preach
lady Moyer's lecture, in 1723 and 1724. The eight ser-
mons he had delivered on the occasion, were published in
1725, under the title of "An historical, account of the
Trinitarian Controvery." This work, in the opinion of
Dr. Godolphin, provost of Eton college, merited a much
greatep reward than lady Moyer's donation. Accordingly,
he soon found an opportunity of conferring such a reward
upon Dr. Berriman, by inviting him, without solicitation,
to accept of a fellowship in his college. Our author was
elected fellow in 1727, and from that time he chiefly re-
sided at Eton in the Summer, and at his parsonage-house
in the Winter. His election into the college at Eton was a
benefit and ornament to that society. He was a faithful
steward in their secular afiairs, was strictly observant of
their local statute3, and was a benefactor to the college, in
his will. While the doctor's learned productions obtained
for him the esteem and friendship of several able and va-
luable men, and, among the rest, of Dr. Waterland, it is
not, at the same time, surprising, that they should excite
antagonists. One of. these, who then appeared without a
name, and who at first treated our author with decency
and respect, was Dr. Conyers Middleton ; but afterwards,
when Dr. Middleton published his Introductory Discourse
to the Inquiry into the miraculous powers of the Christian
church, and the Inquiry itself, ha chose to speak of
Dr. Berriman with no small degree of severity and con*
tempt. In answer to the attacks made upon him, our di-
vine printed in 1731, "A defence of some passages \n
the Historical Account." In 1733, came out his *^ Brief
remarks on Mr. Chandler'^ introduction to the history of
fe E R R I M A N. 141
the Inquisition," which was followed by " A review of the
Remarks. His next publication was his course of sermons
at Mr. Boyle's lecture, preached in 1730, 1731, and 1732,
and published in 2 vols. 1733, 8vo. The author, in this
work, states the evidence of our religion from the Old
Testament ; vindicates the Christian interpretation of the
ancient prophecies ; and points out the historical chain
and connection of these prophecies. In the preface, he
asserts the authority pf Moses, as an. inspired historian and
law-giver, against his old antagonist Dr. Middleton ; who,
in a letter to Dr. Waterland, had disputed the literal ac-
count of the fall, and had expressed himself with his usual
scepticism concerning the divine origin of the Mosaic in-
stitution, as well as the divine inspiration of its founder.
Besides the writings we have mentioned. Dr. Berrimau
printed a number of occasional sermons, and, among the
rest, one on the Sunday before his induction to his living
of St. Andrew Undershaft, and another on Family Religion.
He departed this life at his house in London, on the 5th
of February, 1749-50, in the 62d year of his age. His
funeral sermon was preached by the rev. Glocester Ridley,
LL. B. containing many of the particulars here noticed.
Such was Dr. Berriman's integrity, that no ill usage could
provoke him, no friendship seduce him, no ambition tempt
him, no interest buy him, to do a wrong, or violate his con-
science. When a certain right reverend prelate, unso-
licited, and in pure respect to his distinguished merit,
offered him a valuable prebend in his cathedral church of
Lincoln, the doctor gratefully acknowledged the generosity
of thp offer, but conscientiously declined it, as he was
bound from accepting of it by the statutes of his college.
The greatest difficulty of obtaining a dispensation w^as from
himself. In the year of his decease, forty of his sermons
were published, in two volumes, 8vo, by his brother, John
Berriman, M. A. rector of St. Alban's, Wood-street, under
the title of " Christian doctrines and duties explained and
recommended.'' In 1763, nineteen sermons appeared in
one volume, under the same title. With respect to Dr.
Berriman's practical discourses, it is allowed that they are
grave, weighty, and useful ; and well fitted to promote
pious and virtuous dispositions, but belong to a class which
have never been eminently popular.
The Rev. John Beuriman, above-mentioned, was born in
.1689, and educated at St. Edmund hall, Oxford, and
142 B E a R I M A N.
after taking orders, i^as for many years curate of St Swithifr^
and lecturer of St. Mary Aldermanbury^ but in 1744 was
presented to the rectory of St. Alban's, which he retained
until his death, Dec. 8, 1768, being then the oldest incum'-
bent in London. He published a sermon on the 30th of
January, 1721 ; and in 1741, "Eight Sermons at lady
Meyer's lecture," entirely of the critical kind, and giving
an account of above a hundred Greek MSS. of St Paul's
Epistles, many of them not before collated.*
BERRUGUETE (Alonzo), an eminent Spanish pain-
ter, sculptor, and architect, was born at Parades^ de Nava,.
near Valladolid. He went when young into Italy, studied
under Michael Angelo, and became the friend and inti-
mate of Andrea del Sarto, Baccio, Bandinelli, and other
celebrated artistfj. After having finished his education, he
returned to Spain, and afforded eminent proofs of his ta-
lents in the Prado of Madrid, and the Alhambra of Gre-
nada. The emperor Charles V. who admired his extensive
and various talents^ bestowed on him the order of knight-
hood, and appointed him gentleman of his chamber. After
establishing a high reputation and a great fortune, Ber-
ruguete died at Madrid in 1545, advanced in years. In
the cathedral of Toledo, is one of his finest sculptures, the
Transfiguration, and some other beautiful carvings in the
choir, one side of which was thus decorated by him, the
other by Philip de Borgona. His style possessed much of
the sublime manner of his great master, and he was justly
admired by his countrymen, as being the first who intro-
duced the true principles of the fine arts into Spain. *
BERRUYER (Joseph Isaac), a celebrated French wri-
ter, of the order of Jesus, was born at Rouen in Nor-
mandy, Nov. 7, 1681. He was designed for the pulpit,
but the weakness of his frame not allowing him to declaim,
he gave himself up to the quiet but severe studies of the
closet, and produced some critical works of importance,
which his countrymen in their spirit of intolerance thought
fit to suppress : and the reading of his " Histoire du peu-
ple de Dieu" was forbid by the archbishop of Paris, which
the Sorbonne were six years reviewing. The first part of
' this work made its appearance in 8 vols. 4to, with a sup-
plement, 1728, reprinted in 1733, 8 vols. 4to, and 10 vols.
* Biog. Brit — Nichols's Literary Anecdotes.— Harwood^s Alumni Etonenses.
— Dr. Ridley's Fun. SermoD. — biographical Dictionary, 2d edit. 1784.
* Sio^. Universelle.— Cumberlaad's Aaecdotes of Spanish painters, voL L 2X
B E R II U Y E R. 143
12mo ; this ends With the times of the Messiah : the second
part came out in 1753 in 4 vols. 4to, and 8 vols. 12moi
and the third part in 2 vols. 4 to, or 5 vols, in 12mo, con-
taining a literal paraphrase of the epistles, was printed ia
1758, notwithstanding it was censured and condemned by
the pope and clergy as containing abominable errors.
Abominable absurdities it certainly contained, the history
of the Jews being detailed with all the affectation of senti--
mental romance* The author died at Paris, Feb. 18,
1758.'
BERRY (Sir John), a naval commander, a native of
Devonshire, where he was born in 1635, became success-
ful against the Buccaneers who infested the Atlantic ocean,
and distinguished himself at the famous battle of South-
wold-bay, for which he wasTcnighted. In 1682, he com-
manded the Gloucester frigate, on board of which the
duke of York embarked for Scotland ; but by the careless-
ness of the pilot, the vessel was lost at the mouth of the
Humber. In the midst of this confusion, sir John retained
that presence of mind for which he was always remarkable,
and by that means preserved the duke and as many of his
retinue as the long-boat would carry. Soon after he was
promoted to a flag, and commanded as vice-admiral under
lord Dartmouth, at the demolition of Tangier, and on his re-
turn was made a commissioner of the navy ; which post he
enjoyed till his death. He was in great favour with king
James II. who made choice of him to command under lord
Dartmouth, when the prince of Orange landed in Eng-
land ; and when his lordship left the fleet, the whole com-
mand devolved on sir John Berry, who held it till the ships
were laid up. Aftfer the revolution sir John continued iu
his posts, and was frequently consulted by king William,
who entertained a high opinion of his abilities in military
affairs; but he was poisoned in the beginning of February,
1691, on board one of his majesty's ships at Portsmouth,
where he was paying her off, in the 56th year of his age.
The cause of this catastrophe was never discovered, and it
was probably accidental. His body was brought to Lon-
don and .interred at Stepney, and a fine monument after-
wards erected to his memory. *
BERRY (William), an ingenious Scotch artist, was one
of those who owe more to nature than to instruction: of
* Bioj. Universelle.— Diet. Hist. » Prinpe's Worthies of DeroH.
144 B E R R Y.
his parentage we have no account, but he appears to have
been born about 1730, and at the usual time bound appren-
tice to Mr. Proctor, a seal engraver in Edinburgh. How
long he remained with him is uncertain, but for some years
after he began business for himself, he pursued the same
branch with his teacher. At this time, however, his designs
were so elegant, and his mode of cutting so clean and sharp,
as soon to make him be taken notice of as a superior artist.
At length by constantly studying and admiring the style
of the antique entaglios, he resolved to attempt something
of that sort himself; and the subject he chose was a head
of sir Isaac Newton, which he executed in a style of such
superior excellence, as astonished all who had an oppor-
tunity of observing it. But as he was a man of the most
unaffected modesty, and as this head was given to a friend
in a retired situation in life, it was known only to a few in
the private circle of his acquaintance ; and for many years
was scarcely ever seen by any one who could justly appre-
ciate its merit. Owing to these circumstances, Mr. Berry
was permitted to waste his time, during the best part of hi*
life, in cutting heraldic seals, for which he found a much
greater demand than for fine heads, at such a price as
could indemnify him for the time that was necessarily spent
in bringing works of such superior excellence to perfection.
He often told the writer of this account, that though some
gentlemen pressed him very much to make fine heads for
them, yet he always found that, when he gave in his bill
for an article of that kind, though he had charged perhaps
not more than half the money that he could halve earned in
the same time at his ordinary work, they always seetned
to think the price too high, which made him exceedingly
. averse to employment of that sort.
The impulse of genius, however, got so far the better of
prudential considerations, that he executed, during the
course of his life, ten or twelve heads, any one of which
would have been sufficient to insure him immortal fame
among judges of excellence in this department. ■ Among
these were the heads of Thomson the poet, Mary queen of
Scots, Oliver Cromwell, Julius Caesar, a young Hercules,
and Mr. Hamilton of Bangour, the poet. Of these only
two copies were from the antique, and they were executed
iu the finest style of those celebrated entaglios. The
young Hercules in particular, which, if we mistake not,
belongs to the earl of Findlater, possessed that unaffected
]3 E R R Y. 145
plain simplicitjr, and natural concurrence in the same ex*'
pression of youthful innocence through all the features^
conjoined with strength and dignity, which is, perhaps, the
most difficult of all expressions to be hit off by the most
faithful imitator of nature.
Mr. Berry possessed that very nice perceptive faculty,
which constitutes the essence of genius in the fine arts, in
fiuch a high degree, as to prove even a bar to his attaining
that superior excellence in this department, which nature
had evidently qualified him for. Even in his best per-
formance he thought he perceived defects, which no one
else remarked, and which the circumstances above alluded
to prevented him from correcting. While others admired
with unbounded applause, he looked upon his own per-
formances with a kind of vexation, at finding the execu-
tion not to have atcaitied the high perfection he conceived
to be attainable. And not being able to afford the time to
perfect himself in that nice department of his art, he be-
came extremely averse to attempt it. Yet, in spite of this
aversion, the few pieces above named, and some others,
were extorted from him by degrees, and they came gra-
dually to be known : and wherever they were known, they
were admired, as superior to every thing produced in
modern times, unless it was by Piccler of Rome, who in
the same art, but with much greater practice in it, had
justly attained a high degree of celebrity. Between the
excellence of these two artists, connoisseurs differed in
opinion ; some being inclined to give the palm to Berry,
while others preferred Piccler. The works of these two
artists were well known to each other ; and each declared^
with that manly ingenuousness, which superior genius alone
can confer on the human mind^ that the other was greatly
his superior.
Mr. Berry possessed not merely the art of imitating
busts, or figures set before him, in which he could observe .
and copy the prominence or the depression of the parts,
but he possessed a faculty which presupposes a much nicer
discrimination ; that of being able to execute a figure in
relievo, with perfect justness, in all its parts, which was
copied from a drawing or a painting upon a fiat surface.
This was fairly put to the test in the head be executed of
Hamilton of Bangour, a person he never saw : it was not only
one of the most perfect likenesses that could be wished for,
although he had only an imperfect sketch to copy, but there
VoJL. V. L
146 B E R R V
was a correctness in the outline, and a trihh and delicacy
in the expression of the features, highly emulous of the
best antiques, which were iVideed the models on which he
formed his taste.
Besides the heads above named, he also execuled some
full length figures both of men and other animals, in a
style of superior elegance. But that attention to the in-
terests of a numerous family, which a man of sound prin-
ciples, as Mr. Berry was, could never allow him to lose
sight of, made him forego these amusing exertions, for the
more lucrative, though less pleasing employment, of cut-
ting heraldic seals, which may be said to have been his
constant employment from morning to night, for forty
years together, with an assiduity that has few examples in
modem times. In this department, he was without dispute
the first artist of his time ; but even here, that modesty
which was so peculiarly his own, and that invariable desire
to give full perfection to evety thing he put out of his
hands, prevented him from drawing such emoluments frOm
his labours as they deserved. Of this the following anec-
dote will serve as an illustration, and as an additional testi-
mony of his very great skill. A certain noble duke, when
he succeeded to his estate, was desirous of having a seal
cut with his arms, &c. properly blazoned upon it. But as
there were no less than thirty-two compartments in the
shield, which was of necessity confined to a very small
space, so as to leave room^ for the supporters, and other
ornaments, within the compass of a seal of an ordinary size,
he found it a matter of great difficulty to get it executed.
Though a native of Scotland himself, the duke never ex-
pected to find a man of the first-rate eminence in Edin-
burgh ; but applied to the most eminent seal-engravers in
London and Paris^ all of whom declined it as a thing be- ^
yond' their power. At this time Berry, of whom he had
scarcely heard, was mentioned to him in such a manner
that he went to him, accompanied by a friend, and found
him, as usu^l, sitting at his wheel. Without introducing
the duke, the gentleman showed Berry an impression of a
seal that the duchess dowager had got cut a good many
years before by a Jew in London, who was dead before the
duke thought of his seal, and which had been shewn to the
others as a pattern, asking him if he would cut a seal the
same with that After examining it a little, Mr. Berry
answered readily that he would. The duke, pleased and
BERRY. 147
astonished at the same time, cried out, *^ Will you, in*
deed P' Mr. Berry, who thought this implied some sort of
doubt of his abilities, was a little piqued at it; and turning
round to the duke, whom he had never seen before, nor
knevV ; ^^ Yes (said he,) sir ; if I do not make a better seal
than this, I shall take no payment for it." The duke,
highly pleased, left the pattern with Mr. Berry, and went
away. The_ pattern seal contained, indeed, the various
devices on the thirty-two compartments, distinctly enough
to be seen, but none of the colours were expressed. Mr.
Berry, in a proper time, finished the seal ; on which the
figures were not only done with superior elegance, but the
colours on every part so distinctly marked, that a painter
could delineate the whole, or a herald blazoi:\ it, with the
most perfect accuracy. For this extraordinary exertion of
talents, he charged no more than thirty- two guineas, though
the pattern seal bad cost seventy-five. Thus it was, that,
notwithstanding he possessed talents of the most superior
kind, and assiduity almost unequalled, observing at all
times a strict economy in his family, Mr. Berry died at
last, in circumstances that were not affluent, on the 3d of
June, 1783, in the 53d year of his age, leaving a numerous
family of children. Besides his eminence as an artist, he
was distinguished by the integrity of his moral character,
and the strict principles of honour which on all occasion^
influenced his conduct. '
BERRYAT (John), physician in ordinary to the king;
and intendant of the mineral waters of France, a corre-
spondent of the academy of sciences, and member of that of
Auxerre, who died in 1754, is chiefly known as the projec-
tor of the ^* CoUectiqn Acad^mique,'' containing extracts
of the most important articles in .the memoirs of various
learned societies. He published the first two volumes at
Dijon, 1754, 4to. The plan was good, but he gave the
articles so much at length, that an abridgment would b^
necessary to render it useful. It was continued by Me^rs.
Guenau de Montbeillard, Buflbn, Daubenton, Larcher, &c.
and forms 33 vols. 4to, with the tables of the abb6 Rozier.
Berryat also published " Observations physiques et medi-
cinales sur les eaux minerales d'Epoigny,'' in the neigh-
bourhood of Auxerre, and printed at Auxerre, 1752,12mo.'
I Dr. James Anderson's Bee, or Literary IntelH^enceri for March, 1793.
« Bio5. UniT.— Diet. HisU
L 2
148 B E R S M A N N.
BERSMANN (GREGOftY), a native of Germany, wa«
born March 11, 1538, at Annaberg, a little town of Misnia^
near the river Schop, on the side of Bohemia. He was
educated with care, and made great progress in the sciences.
He was particularly fond of the study of medicine, physics,
the belles-lettres, and the learned languages. He excelled
in Latin and Greek, and took delight in travelling over
France and Italy for forming acquaintance with those who
were in most reputation among the literati. On his return,
he was successively professor of poetry and Greek at Wit-
temberg and Leipsic, but being unwilling to sign the for-
mulary of concord, he was dismissed in 1580, and went
into the territories of the prince of Anhalt-Zerbst, where he
died the 5th of October 1611, in the seventy- third year of
his age. Bersmann put into verse the Psalms of David, and
published editions of Virgil, 1581, Ovid, 1582, -^sop,1590,
and of Horace, Lucan, Cicero, and other ^uthors of an-
tiquity. He was not less fertile in body tlian in mind ;
having fourteen sons and six daughters by^his marriage
with a daughter of Peter Hellebron. Freyer, however,
says that he had only four sons. ^
BERTAUT (John), first chaplain to queen Catherine
de Medicis, secretary of the cabinet and reader to Henry
in. counsellor of state, abbot of Aulnai, and lastly bishop
of Seez, was bom at Caen in the year 1522, and died the
8th of June 1611, aged fifty-nine. He was the contem-
porary and friend of Ronsard and Desportes, and was
thought superior to either. Some of his stanzas are writ-
ten with ease and elegance ; and have not been excelled
by the best poets of our own times. He has left poems
sacred and profane, canticles, songs, sonnets, and psalms.
They are .interspersed with several happy thoughts, but
turned in points, a taste which he caught from Seneca.
He seems to have conducted himself with great propriety
after his being advanced to the prelacy^ and the bishop
blushed at the gaiety of the courtier, but he had too
much fondness for his early productions to consign them
to oblivion, and he published them with his pious pieces,
^' the bane and antidote.'* He left also a translation of
some books of St, Ambrose, several controversial tracts,
imperfect ; sermons for the principal festivals of the church,
^ Biog. Univ.— Diet Hiit.-^7reyeri Theatnim.— Melchior Adam in vitk
Thilof .— SaxU Onomatt.
B E R T A U T. 149
aod a funeral discourse on Henry IV. to whose conversion
be had greatly coutiibuted. lie was oincle to niadame de
Motteville, first woman of the bedchamber to Anne of
Austria, and who published the memoirs of that princess.
His ^* Oeuvres poetiques'* were printed at Paris, 1602, 8vo,
and with additions in 1605 ; but the Paris editions of 1620
and 1623, 8vd, are the most complete. ^
BERTEL, or BEtlTELS (John), in Latin Bertelius,
was born at Louvain, and, in 1576, embraced the monastic
life, in the monastery of St Benedict, of which he was.
abb^ for nineteen years. He then removed to the abbey
of Ecbternach, but was taken prisoner by the Dutch in
1596, and was not released without paying a very large
sum. He died at Echternach, June 19, 1607. He pub-
lished, 1. ^^ In regulam D. Benedicti, dialogi viginti sex :
catalogus et series abbatum Externacensium'' (of Echter*
nach) Cologne, 1581, 8vo. 2. ^^ Historia Luxemburgensis^
seu Commefftarius quo ducum Luxemburgensium ortus^
progressus ac res gestae accurate describuntur,'^ Cologne^
I605p 4to.' At the end of this is a dissertation on the god$
and sacrifices of the ancient inhabitants of Luxemburgh..
The ^^ Respublica Luxemburgica,'' one of Bleau*s little
^^ Republics,^' 1635, 24mo, was merely an extract from
BertePs history. '
BERTHAULD (Peter), a French historian, was born,
at Sens in 1600, and entered early into the congregation
of the oratory, where he taught rhetoric at Marseilles^ after
that college had been founded in 1625. In 1659, he be-,
came titular of the archdeaconry of Dunois in the church
of Chartres, and next year he obtained a canonry, and in
1666 was promoted to the deanery of the same church.
His << Florus Gallicus," and *^ Florus Franciscus," which
were long popular works, and esteemed the best abridg-
ments of French history, are praised by Le Long for their *
style ; but the work from which he derived most reputation
was his learned dissertation ^^ De Ara," Nantes, 1633. He
had some talent also for Latin poetry, and published oc-
casional pieces of that kind, as his encomium on the city of
Troyes, where he was educated, 1631, 8vo, and the de-
liverance of Casal, ^^ Casallum bis liberatum." Cardinal
Richelieu, who valued bim^ would have promoted him to
»
^ Moreru— Baillet Jagemeni d« Sayans.— Biog. UoiT.— Diet. HiiU
s Biog. Unif.^Foppen Bibl. Belg.
150 B E R T H A U L D.
a bishopric, bu,t he was dissuaded by father Sancy de Har-
lay, who, among all Berthauld's powers, did not discover
that of governing a diocese. He died Oct. 19, 1681.*
BERTHEAU (Charles), a learned French protestant
divine, long resident in London, was born in 1 660 at Mont-
pelier : he studied philosophy and divinity, partly in France
and partly in Holland, and was admitted a minister in the
synod held at Vigan in 1681, and was next year chosen
pastor to the church of Montpelier ; but he did not make
any long stay in that city, for he was soon* after promoted
to be one of the ministers of the church of Paris. On the
revocation of the edict of Nantz, Mr. Bertheau found him-
self obliged to quit his native country. He accordingly
came to England in 1685, and the following year was
chosen one of the niinisters of the Walloon church in
Threadneedle street, London, where he discharged the
duties of the pastoral office for about forty^four years, in
such a manner as procured him very general applause. He
died 25th Dec. 1732, in the seventy-third year of his age.
He possessed considerable abilities, was distinguished for
his good sense and sound judgment, and for a retentive
memory. He was a very eloquent preacher, and has left
behind him two volumes of sermons printed in French, the
first in 1712, the second in 1730, with a new edition of
the first. One of these sermons is on a singular subject,
which, probably, would not have occurred to him so readily
in any city as in London, " On inquiring after news in a
Christian manner," from Acts xvii. 21.*
BERTHET (John), a learned Jesuit, was born at Ta-
rascon in Provence, Feb. 24, 1622. Possessed of a remark-
able memory, he made great piroficiency in ancient and
modern languages, and acquired much fame as a teacher
of humanity, philosophy, and divinity in the various col-
* leges of his order. He also engaged in public disputations
at Lyons, with the clergry of Geneva and Grenoble, but
was dismissed from the Jesuits by order of Louis XIV. for
having had the weakness or curiosity to consult a pro-*
phetess who made a noise among the credulous at Paris.
Re then entered among the Benedictines, and died at their^
college at Oulx, in 1692. He published, 1. " Trait6 de
la presence reelie.** 2. *' Trait6 historique de la charge de
grand aumonierde France,'' a very curious work. 3. "Traits
* Biog. Uni?. — ^Morejri.<-^Sa]iu OdodusI^ * Blog. Brit.
B E R T H E T. J51
sur la chapelle des dues de Bourgogne." He wrote also
several other pieces on the Tiietouic order, the abbey of
Cluni, the rights of the king to Avignon and Venaissin, the
East Indies, the Italian language, and chronology ; some
of which still remain in manuscript; and various Latin,
French, Italian, and Provencal pieces of poetry. His cor-
respondence with men of learning both in France and fo-
reign countries was very extensive. '
BERTHIER (William Francis), a French writer of
considerable note, was born at Issoudun en Berri April 7,
1704, and entered among the Jesuits in 1722. He was
professor of humanity at Blois, of philosophy at Rennes
and Rouen, and of divinity at Paris. The talents he dis-
played in these offices made him be chosen in 1742 to
succeed father Bnimoy, in the continuation of his "His-
tory of the Gallican Church." This he executed with
general approbation. In 1745 his superiors enjployed him
on the Journal de Trevoux, which he conducted for seven-
teen years, to the satisfaction of the learned and the pub-
lic in general. This employment, says the abb6 de Fon-
tenay, procured him a high reputation, by the care and
accuracy evident in the analysis of the works that came
before him, and by the style of a masterly, impartial, and
intrepid critic. But this exact impartiality was displeasing
to several writers, and especially to Voltaire, When that
poet published, without his name, his panegyric on Louia
XV. pere Berthier saw it in no other light than as the at-
tempt of a young man who was hunting after antitheses,^
though not destitute of ingenuity. *|iSo humiliating a cri-
tique was sensibly felt by Vokaire^ ^wbo made no hesita-
tion to declare himself the author of the work so severely
handled. His mortification was increased when pere Ber-
thier having given an account of a publication, wherein the
poet was characterised under the title of " the worthy rival
of Homer and Sophocles," the journalist put coldly in a
iiote, " We are not acquainted with him.*' But what
raised the anger of Voltaire to its utmost pitch, was a very
just censure of several reprehensible passages in his essay
on general history. The irritated poet declared openly in
1759 against the Jesuit in a sort of diatribe, which he
placed after his ode on the death of the margravine of Ba-
reitb* The Jesuit repelled his shafts with a liberal and
' Biof. Umv.— Diet Hist. . ' .
L .
15J V B E K T H I E R.
manly spirit in the Journal de Trevoux.. Upon this the
poet, instead of a serious answer, brought out in 1760 a
piece of humour, entitled "An account of the sickness^
confession, and death of the Jesuit Berthier." The learned
Jesuit did not think proper to make any reply to an adver-
sary who substituted ridicule for argument, .and continued
the Journal de Trevoux till the dissolution of the society
in France. He then quitted his literary occupations for
retirement. At the close of 1762 the dauphin appointed
him keeper of the royal library, and adjunct in th,e educa**
tion of Louis XVL and of motisieur. But eighteen months
afterwards, when certain events occasioned the dismission
of all ex-jesuits from the court, he settled at Ossenbourg,
from which the empress queen invited him to Vienna ; and
he was also offered the place of librarian at Milan, but he
refused all; and after residing here for ten years, obtained
permission to go to Bourges, where he had a brother and
a nephew in the church. Here he died of a fall, Dec. 15,
1782, just after being informed tliat the French clergy
had decreed him a pension of a thousand livres. The
chapter of the metropolitan church gave him distinguished
honours at his interment; a testimony due to a man of
such eminent piety, extensive erudition, and excellent
judgment
During his residence at Ossenbourg and at Bourges, he
composed his ^^ Commentaire sur les Psaum^s et sur Isaie/*
15 vols. 12mo. He published also his ** Oeuvres spiritu-
elles," 5 vols. 12mo, the best edition of which is that of
Paris, 1811; " RefuUtion du Contrat Social," 1789, 12mo,
An *^ Examination of the fourth article of the Declaration
of the Clergy pf France in 1682," lately printed at Liege,
1801, and Paris 1809, has been very unjustly and unfairly
attributed to him. ^
BERTHOLET FLEMAEL. See FLEMAEL.
BERTHOLON (de St. Lazare), a French philosopher,
a native of Lyons, who died in 1799, was first distinguished
at Montpelier, as professor of natural philosophy, an of-
fice established by the states of Languedoc, and after-
wards as professor of history at Lyons. He was a man of
mild manner, communicative and accommodating, and of
great industry. He was the friend of Dr. Franklin, an4
according to bis plan, was employed to erect a gr^^^t nun^-^
1 Biog. UniverwUe,— Diet Hbtt
B E R T H O L O N. 153
ber of conductors, to preserve buildings from lightning,
in Paris and at Lyotis. Few writers on subjects of natural
philosophy, &c. have been so successful^ scarce a year
passing without two or three prizes being adjudged to him
by the academy, for the best dissertation on the subject
proposed. The month of August, in which the prizes are
usually distributed, he used familiarly to call his harvest.
His principal works are, 1. " Moyen de determiner le
moment ou le vin en fermentation a acquis toute sa force,"
1781, 4to, a prize essay at Montpelier. 2. " De I'elec-.
tricit6 du corps humain en etat de sant6 et de maiadie,"
1781, 8vo, a prize dissertation at Lyons, 3. " De I'elec-
tricit^ des vegetaux," Paris, 1783, 8vo. which the Mbnthly
Reviewer terms ** a new conquest added to the empire
which electricity is assuming over the natural world.'*
4. *^ Preuves de l'efficacit6 des paratonneres," 1783, 4to.
5. " Des avantages que la physique et lea arts peuvent
retirer des aerostats,'* 1784, 8vo. 6. " Memoires sur les
moyens qui ont fait prosperer les manufactures de Lyon,"
&c. 1782, 8vo. 7. " De Pelectricit6 des meteores," 1787.
8. "Theorie des incendies, &c." 1787, 4to. 9. « De
I'^au la plus propre a la vegetation," 1786, 4to. Ber-
tholon was also for some years editor of the Journal of na--
tural history, begun in 1787, and of the " Journal dea
sciences utiles," begun in 1791.*
BERTHOUD (Ferdinand), an eminent French marine
clock-maker, a member of the institute, of the royal so-*
ciety of London, and of the legion of honour, was bora
March 19, 1727, at Plancemont in Neufchatel. His fa-
ther, who was an architect and justiciary, had destined him
for the church ; but the youth having had an opportunity,
when only sixteen years of age, to examine the mechanisnl
of a clock, became so fond of that study as to attend to
nothing else. His father then very wisely encouraged an
enthusiasm so promising, and after having employed an
able workman to instruct his son in the elements of clock-
making, consented that he should go to^Paris to perfect
his knowledge of the art. He accordingly came to Paris in
1745, and there constructed his first specimens of marine
clocks, which soon were universally approved and adopted,
Berthoud and Peter Leroi were rival makers of these Ion-
1 Qi^. Uuirerselle.^-^Dict Hist. neiUier of which have given us hii Christian
name. In his works he is called the abbi Bertholon de St lAZtatt, which w*
have adopted.-— Monthly Review, vol. LXIV. and LXX.
154 B E R T H O U D.
gitudinal clocks, and came very near each other, although
by different methods, in the construction of them,; but
Berthoud's superior experience made the preference be
given to his workmanship. They had both deposited the
description of their clocks with the secretary of the acade-
my of sciences, sealed up, more than ten years before
Harrison^s clocks were proved. Berthoud went twice to
London, when the inquiries were making concerning Har-
rison's invention, but returned each time without being
able to satisfy his curiosity; and therefore, his biographer
adds, owes nothing to the English artist. Berthoud^s
works, which are numerous, all relate to the principles of
his art. 1. "Essay sur THorlogerie," 1763, 2 vols. 4to,
reprinted 1786. 2. " Eclaircissements sur ^invention des
Houvelles machines propos6es pour la determination des
longitudes en mer, par la mesure du tempo," Paris, 1773,
►4to. 3. " Trait6 des horologes marines," 1773, 4to. Of
this the reader will find a very ample criticism and analysis
in vols. L. and LL of the Monthly Review, and an exa-
mination of Berthoud's pretensions to superiority, com-
pared with the prior attempts of Hooke aiid Harrison.
4. " De la mesure du temps," a supplement to the preced-
ing, 1787, 4to. 3. " Les longitudes par la mesure du temps,"
1775, 4 to. 6. ^^ La mesure du temps appliquee a la navi-
gation,'' 1782, 4tp. 7. ^^ Histoire de la mesure du tempa
paries horologes," 1802, 2 vols. 4to. 8. " L'Art de conduire
et de regler les pendules et les montres." This, although
mentioned last, was his first publication in 1760, and has
often been reprinted. He wrote also some articles on his
particular branch in the French Encyclopedia. Berthoud,
by means of a regular and temperate system, preserved
his faculties to the last« He died of a dropsy in the chest,
June 20, 1 807, at his house at Groslay, in the canton of
Montmorency. His nephew, Louis, his scholar and the
heir of his talents, carries on the business of marine-clock
making with equal success, and is said to have brought these
machines to a superibr degree of exactness. ^
BERTI (Alexander Pompey)^ a learned Italian, was
born at Lucca, Dec. 23, 1686. He entered when sixteen
into the congregation, called the Mother of God at Naples,
and prosecuted his studies with success and perseverance.
On his return to Lucca he acquired great reputation as a
general scholar and preacher^ and in 1717, taught rheto-
1 Bio;. Unhrenelle.— Diet. Hi8t.—MonUi]y Reriew^ ubi supra.
B E R T L 155
ric at Naples. The marquis de Vasto having appointed
him to be bis librarian, he increased the collection with a
number of curious books, of which he had an accurate
knowledge, and also greatly enlarged the library of bis
convent. He introduced among his brethren a taste for
polite literature, and formed a colony of Arcadians. In
J 739, he settled finally at Rome, where he was appointed
successively vice-rector, assistant-general, and historian of
his order. He was one of the most distinguished members
of the society of the Arcadians at Home, and of many
other societies. He died at Rome, of an apoplexy, March
23, 1752. Mazzuchelli has given a catalogue of twenty-*
four works published by him, and of twenty-one that re-
main in manuscript. Among these we may notice, 1. "La
Caduta de' decemviri della Romana repnbiica per la fun-
zione della serenissima repiiblica di Lucca," Luccd, 1717*
2. " Canzone per le vittorie contro il Turco del principe
Eageiiio," ibid, without date, 4to. 3. The lives of 8eve-»
ral of the Arcadians, printed in the prose memoirs of th^t
academy, under his academic name of Nicasio Poriniano«
4. Translations into the Italian of several French authors ;
^nd poetical pieces in various collections. 5. We owe
to him chiefly an important bibliographical work, ^* Cata*
logo della libreria Capponi, con annotazioni in diversi
luoghi," Rome, 1747, 4to. It is the more necessary ici
notice this work, because the editor Giorgi, who has
given very little of his own, does not once mention Berti's
name. Among his unpublished works is one of the bio-
graphical kind, ^^ Memorie degli scrittori Lucchesi,'' a
collection of the lives of the writers of Lucca. It being
well known, as early as 1716, that this was ready for the
press, Mai^zuchelli, who had waited very patiently for
what was likely to be of so much service to himself, at
lengtli, in 1739, took the liberty to inquire of ' Berti the
cause 4>f a delay so unusual. Berti answered that the diffi-
culties he had met with had obliged him to re-write his
work, and dispose it in a new order ; tBat the names were
ranged according to the families ; the most ancient families
had been replaced by new ones in the various offices of
dignity in that little republic, and the new heads and all
their relations were not very fond of being reminded that
their, ancestors were physicians, men of learning, and
*^ people of that sort." *
> Bio|;. Universelle.— MazzuclielU.«->Saxu OBomaBticom
156 B E R T I.
/
*
BERTI (John Lawrence), a famous Augustine monk,
born May 28, 1696, at Serravezza, a small village in Tus-
cany, was called to Rome by his superiors, and obtained
the title of assistant-general of Italy, and the place of pre-
fect of the papal library. His great proficiency in theolo-
gical studies procured him these distinctions, and appeared
to advantage in his grand work, '* De disciplinis theologi-
cis,'' printed at Rome in 8 vols. ^to. He here adopts the
sentiments of St. Augustine in tlieir utmost rigour, after
the example of Bellelli his brother^monk. The' archbishop
of 'Vienna [Sal6on], or rather the Jesuits who managed
him, published under his name in 1744, two pieces against
the two Augustine theologues, inveighing against them as
being too severely Augustine. The first is entitled,
*^ Baianismus redivivus in scriptis pp. Bellelli et Berti," in
4to. The second bore this title : ^* Jansenismus redivivua
in scriptis pp. Bellelli et Berti,*' in 4to. At the same time
father Berti was accused to pope Benedict XIV. as a disci-
ple of Baius and of Jansenius. The prudent pontiff, with-
out returning any answer to the accusers, advised Berti to
defend himself; which he accordingly did in a work of
two vols. 4to, 1749. In this apology, rather long, though
learned and lively, he laid down the difference there is
between Jansenism and Augustinianism. After this piece
Berti broi^ght out several others, the. principal of which is
an ecclesiastical history in Latin, in 7 vols. 4to : it made
however but little way out of Italy, by reason of the dry-
ness of the historian, and of hi$ prejudices in favour of
exploded tenets. He speaks of the pope, both in his the-
ology and in his history, as the absolute monarch of king-
doms and empires^ and that all other princes are but bis
lieutenants. Berti wrote also dissertations, dialogues, pa^
negyrics, academical discourses, and some Italian poems,
which are by no means his best productions. An editioa
in folio of all his works has been printed at Venice. He
died at the age of 70, May 26, 1766, at Pisa, whither he
had been called by Francis I. grand duke of Tuscany. ^
BERTIE (Robert), earl of Lindsey, and lord high
chamberlain of England in the reign of Charles I. was the
eldest son of Peregrine 'lord Willoughby, of Eresby, by .
Mary, daughter to John Vere earl of Oxford, and grand-
son of Richard Bertie, esq. by Catherine, duchess of Suf»
1 Biog. Univertelie.— Mazzuchelli^ Tol. n.«— Fabroni Vlts Italorunij yol. lU
p. 43.— Diet. HiiU
BERTIE. 157
folk. He was born in 1582, and in 1601, upon the death
of his father^ succeeded to his title and estate. In the first
year of the reign of James I. he made his claim to the
earldom of Oxford, and to the titles of lord Bulbech,
Sandfbrd, and Badlesmere, and to the office of lord high
chamberlain of England, as son and heir to Mary, the sole
heir female of that great family; and, after a considerable
dispute, had judgment given in his favour for the office of
lord high chamberlain, and the same year took his seat in
the house of lords above all the barons^ On the 22d of
November, 1636, he was advanced* to the dignity of earl
of Lindsey ; and four years after made knight of the gar-
ter ; and the next year constable of England for the trial
of the lord Rea and David Ramsey, in fhe court military.
Ill 1635 he yvsLS constituted lord high admiral of England ;
and a fleet of forty ships of war was sent out under him.
Jn 1639, upon the Scots taking arms, he was made gover-
nor of Berv^ick. The year following he was appointed
lord high constable of England at the trial of the earl of
Straffijrd. In 1642, he was constituted general of the
king's forces ; and on the 23d of October the same year
received his death's wound in his majesty's service at the
battle of Edgehill in the county of Warwick.
The fortune, which he inherited from his ancestors, wa»
a veiy considerable one ; and though he did not manage it
with such care, as if he desired much to improve it, yet
he left it in a very fair condition. He was a man of great
honour, and spent his youth and the vigour of his age in
military actions and commands abroad. And though he
indulged himself in great liberties, yet he still preserved
a very great interest in his country; as appears by the
supplies, which he an^ his son brought to the king's army,
the companies of his own regiment of foot being com-
manded by the principal knights and gentlemen of Lin-
colnshire, who engaged themselves in the service princi-
pally out of their personal affection to him. He was of a
very generous nature, and punctual in what he undertook,
and in exacting what was due to him ; which made him
bear the restriction so heavily, which was put upon him by
the commission granted to prince Rupert, who was gene*
ral of the horse, in which commission there was a clause
exempting him from receiving orders from any but the
king himself; and by the king's preferring the prince's
opinion in all matters relating to the war before his. Nor
158 BERTIE.
I ,
V
did he conceal his resentment ; for the day before the bat«
tie, he said to some friends, with whom he had used free-
dom^ that he did not look upon himself as general ; and
therefore he was resolved, when the day of battle should
come, that he would be at the head of his regiment as a
private colonel, where he would die. He was carried out
of the field to the next village ; and if he could then have
procured surgeons, it was thought bis wound would not
have proved mortal. A&^soon as the other army was com«
posed by the coming on of the night, the earl of Essex
about midnight sent sir William Balfour, and some other
officers, to see him, and designed himself to visit him.
They found him upon a little straw in a poor house, where
they had laid him in his blood, which had run from him in
great abundance.. He said, he was sorry to see so many
gentlemen, some whereof were his old friends, engaged in
so foul a rebellion ; wishing them to tell the earl of Essex,
that he ought to throw himself at the king's feet to beg his
pardon; which if he did. not speedily do, his memory
would be odious to the nation. He continued his discourse
with such vehemence, that the officers by degrees with-
drew themselves, and prevented the visit, which the earl
of Essex intended him, who only sent him the best sur-
geons ; but in the very opening of his wounds he died,
before the morning, by the loss of blood. He had very
many friends, and very few enemies, and died generally
lamented. His body was interred at Edenham in Lincoln-
shire.
He married Elizabeth, only child of Edward, the first
lord Mountagu of Boughton in Northamptonshire, and had
issue by her nine sons and five daughters, and was suc-
ceeded in his titles and estate by his eldest, Mountagu, who
at the battle of Edge-hill, where be commanded the royal
regiment of guards, seeing his father wounded and taken
prison, was moved with such filial piety, that he volun-
tarily yielded himself to a commander of horse of the
enemy, in order to attend upon him. He afterwards ad-
hered firmly to his majesty in all his distresses, and upon^
the restoration of -king Charles II. was made knight of. the
garter. *
ABINGDON (WiLLOUGHBY BERTIE), earl of, a de-
scendant of the preceding, was bom in 1740, and suc-
^ Birch's Lives. — Biog. Brit »
BERTIE. IB9
ceeded his father William^ the third earl, in 1760. His
lordship was educated at Geneva, where he probably im-
bibed some of the democratic principles of the philoso-
phists in that republic. He generally opposed the mea*
sures of administration .with declamatory vehemence, and
his frequent^speeches in the house of peers were singularly
eccentric,* but added little weight or dignity to the cause
he supported. The editor, however, of Mr. Wilkes's
speeches (in all probability Mr. Wilkes himself) characi'
terises this noble earl *^ as one of the most steady and in-
trepid assertors of liberty in this age. No gentleman was
ever more formed to please and captivate in private life,
or has been more deservedly, more generally, esteemed
and beloved. He possesses true honour in the highest de->
gree, has generous sentiments of friendship, and to supe-^
rior manly sense joins the most easy wit, with a gaiety of
temper which diffuses universal chearfulness : it is impos-
sible not to be charmed with the happy prodigality of na-
ture in his favour ; but every consideration yields with him
to a warm attachment to the laws and constitution of Eng*
land.'* Much of this character may be just, yet his lord-
ship was less respected as a public character or partizan than
^he himself thought he deserved. He had, in particular, a
very high opinion of his speeches, and that the public
might not lose the benefit of them, be sent copies to the
different newspapers with a handsome fee, which ensured
that prominence in the debate which nright not otherwise
have been assigned to them. This custom was no doubt
gratifying to himself and his friends, but it proved on one
occasion peculiarly unfortunate. Having made a violent
attack on the character of an attorney belonging to the
court of king's bench, and sent the speech containing it,
as usual, to the papers, he was prosecuted and sent to
prison for some months, as the publisher of a libel.
Ih 1777, he published a pamphlet which excited much
attention, entitled, "Thoughts on the letter of Edmund
Burke, esq. to the sheriffs of Bristol, on the affairs of
America," Oxford, 8vo. This went through six editions,
from that time to 1780. An anonymous reply was pub-
lished, much admired for its force of irony ; and major
Cartwright addressed a letter to the earl, discussing a po-
sition relative to a fundamental right of the constitution,
1778 : this induced his lordship to add a dedication to his
sixth edition, " To the collective body of the people of
reo B E R T 1 E.
England.'* He is also the reputed author of " A Lettef
to lady Loughborough^ in consequence of her presentation
of the colours to the Bloomsbury and Inns of Court A8so<»
ciatiou ; with a public letter to the university of Oxford,"
1798 ; a rhapsodical epistle, which the influence of his
lordship^s name operating on curiosity, carried through
eight or nine editions. His lordship died in 1799. ^
BERTIER (Joseph Stephen), of the oratory, was borof
at Aix in Provence, in 1710, and died Nov. 15, 1783.
He is known by two worksr which at the time made some
noise among the naturalists ; one is entitled, ^^ Physique
des cometes,'* 1760, r2nio; the other, "Physique des
corps animus," 1755, 12mo. The author had cultivated
the sciences with success ; and in person had a striking re*
semblance to pere Malebranche. His character appears
to have been very excellent. Of all the men of learning
in Paris, he was the most obliging, and strangers were aU
ways desirous of a recommendation to Bertier, as a sure
means of being introduced to the most celebrated charac*
ters, and to every object of curiosity. In philosophy he
was a Cartesian long after that System had been given up.
Louis XV. called him, on this account, le pere aux tour^
billons. He was the author of some other works besides
those above mentioned, but they are not in much repute. *
BERTIN ' (Anthony), a mqdern French poet of the,
Ovidian cast, was born in the isle of. Bourbon, Oct. 10,
1752, and died at St. Domingo June 1790. He was
brought to France for education at the age of nine, and
after studying for some time in the college of Plessis, en«
tered the military service, and became a captain of horse
and a chevalier of l^t. Louis. In his twentieth year he dis-
tinguished himself as a poet, although his effusions were
circulated principally among bis friends; but in 1782,
when he published four books of elegies under the title of
** Amours," a very honourable rank appears to have been
assigned to him among the minor poets of France. He
was intimately connected widi chevalier de Parny, another
poet of the amatory class, and who was termed the French
TibuUus, and they lived together in the utmost amity^ al-
though rivals in the public favour. About the end of the
year 1789, Bertin went to St. Domingo to marry a young
A Gent Mag. 1798, 1799.— Park's Royal and Noble Authors.
* Biof . UBiyerselle.— Diet. Hist
B E R T I N* t€l
t^reole, with whom he had formed an acquaintarice iii Paris^
biit on the day of marriage he was seised with a Tiolent
fe^er, of which he died in a few daysi His works, were
collected and published at Paris in 1785, 2 vols. 18mo.
and reprinted in 1802 and 1806. ^
BERTIN (ExWKRius Joseph), an eminent Fif^nch ana-
tomist, was born at Tremblay in Britanny, Sept. 21, 1712.
At the age of three he was left an orphan, yet learned
Latin almost without a master, aud was sent afterwards toi
Rennes to complete his education. He then went to Parisf
and studied medicine with such success, that, in 1737, he
took his doctor's degree at Rheims, and in 1741 was ad-
mitted a regent member of the faculty of Paris. About the
end of that year he accepted the place of physician to the
prince of Moldavia^ but after two years returned to France,
The academy of sciences which had in his absence chosen
him a corresponding member, now^ in 1744, admitted him
to the honour of being an associate without the intermedi-
ate rank of adjunct The fatigues, however, which he had
encountered in Moldavia, and his assiduous application to
anatomical studies, had at this time impaired his . healthy
and, joined to a nervous temperament, threw him into a
state of mental debility which interrupted his studies for
three years. He was afterwards recommended to travel^
and it was not until the year 1750 that he recovered his
health and spirits, and was enabled to resume his studies
at Gahard, a retired spot near Reniies* There also he em-
ployed some part of his time in the education of his children^
and bis reputation brought him extensive practice. On
Feb. 21, 1781, he was seized with a complaint in his
breast, which carried him off in four days. Before and
after his long illness, he had furnished several valuable
papers to the memoirs of the academy of sciences, parti>^
cularly three on the circulation in the foetus. His princi-
pal publications were, l."Trait6 d'Osteologie," 1754>
4 vols. 12mo, a very popular work at that time^ and still
deserving of perusal. It was intended as the first part of a
general course of anatomy. "2. " Lettre au D ^ sur le
nouveau systeme de la Voix,^' Hague, 1745, 8vo. This
being answered by Ferrein, or his pupil Moutagnat, our
author, without putting his name to it, defended his door
trine in " Lettres sur le nouveau ^systeme de la Voix, c^t
sur les arteres lympbatiques,*' 1748; -v^. ^' Consultation sur
> Biag» UniTertelle,— Diet; HlH.
Vol. V. M
163 B E R T I N:
la legitimit^ defli nai«sances tardives/* 1764andlt65y $ro.
His chief argument here- seems to be the sinfiple position
that if there are early births^ there may also be laie births^
4«-^f Memoire sur les consequences relatives a la prati^
que, deduites de la structure des os parieiaux,*' inserted ia
the Journal de Medicine, 1756. He left in manuscript
Memoirs on Moldavia, which his son Ren4 Joseph, an
eminent physician of Paris, intends to publish* '
BERTIN (Nicholas), painter, and disciple of Jouvenfet
and de BouUogne the elder, ?ms born at Paris in 1664.
His father wa^ a sculptor. The academy of painting de->
creed him the first prize at the age of eighteen, and admitted
him afterwards of their number. During his stay at Rome
he completed his studies. At his return to France he was
appointed director of the Roman school ; but an afiair of
gallantry, which rendered it unsafe for him to return to
Rome, prevented him from accepting that place. Louis
XIV. and the electors of Mentz and of Bavaria employed
him successively in various works. The last was desirous
of attaching him to himself by handsome pensions ; but
Bertin would never consent to quit his country. He died
at Paris in 1736. His manner was vigorous and graceful ;
but his escellenoe lay chiefly in small pictures. At Paris
there are several works of his in the church of St. Luke>
the abbey of St. Germain des pres, and in the halls of the
academy. '
BERTINI (Anthony Francis), an Italian physician,
and a man of learning and §ki}l, yet perhaps less known
for these qualities, than for his literary disputes, was born at
Castel Fiorentino Dec. 28, 1655. After studying at
Sienna and Pisa a complete course, not only of medicine^
but mathematics, astronomy, belles-lettres, &c. he was,
in 1678, created doctor in philosophy and medicine, and
then settled at Florence, where after very successful prac-
tice for many years, he died Dec. '10, 1726. His first
publication was entitled ** La Medicina difesa contra- la
calunnie degli nonrini volgari e dalle opposiziotii de* dotti,
divisa in due dialoghi,*' Lucca^ 1699, 4to. and ibid. 170^.
In the second of these dialogues be pays high compliments
to three physicians belonging to the court of Tuscany, but
Miits Moneglia, the fourth, which brought on a control.
"weny between Bertini akid him ;' and soniie time aft^warda
1 Biog. Univ. — Eloges by Condorc«t, vol. II. p; 283,
^ D'Argenville.— PiHdDgtoiu— Bior. UniverscUe*
B E R T I N t. 16tf
he was InTObred in two other disputes with bis brethren, hy
which neither party gained much credit. His son Joseph
Maria Xavier, who died in 1756, ivasalso a physician, and
of far more <:elebrity as a practitioner ; but he published
9Qly a discourse pronounced in 1744, on the medical use
of mercury in general, which at that time excited the at«
tention of the learned in no small degree. It was entitled
*^ DelV uso esterno e interno del Mercurio, discorso, &c.*'
4to.
, BERTIUS (P£T£R)^ cosmographer and historiographer
to Louis XIIL of France, and regius professor of mathe«
maties, was born at Bevereu in Flanders, on the confines
of the dioceses of Bruges and Ypres, Nov. 14, 1565. He
was brought into England when but three months old, by
bis parents, who dreaded the pensecution of the protestants
which then prevailed in the Netherlands. He veceived the
rudiments of his education in the suburbs of London, under
Christian Rychius^ and his learned daughter-in-law, Petro*
nia Lansberg. He afterwards completed his education at
Leyden, whither his father, then become protestant mini*
ster at Rotterdam, removed him' in his twelfth year. In
1582, when only seventeen years of age, he began the
employment of teaching, which he carried on at Dunkirk^
Ostend, Middleburgh, Goes, and Strasburgh ; but a de«
sire for increasing his own stock of learning induced him
to travel into Germany with Lipsius, and the same object
led him afterwards into Bohemia, Silesia, Poland^ Russia^
and Prussia. On his return to Leyden he was appointed
to a professor's chair, and to die care of tbie library, of
which, after arranging it properly, he published a cata-
log^. In 1606, he was appointed regent of the coUegOi
but afterwards, havihg taken part with the disciples of Ar«
minius, and published several works against those of Go-
marus, he was dismissed from all his employments, and
deprived of every means of subsistence, with a numerous
family. In March 1620, he presented a petition to the
States of Holland for a pension, which was refused. Two
^ years before, Lodis XIIL had honoured him with the title
of his cosmographer, and now constrained by poverty and
the distress of his family, he went to France and embraced
the popish religion, a change which gave great uneasiness
to the protestants. Some time after he was appointed
professor of rhetoric in the college of Boncourt, then histo-
riographer to the king, and lastly assistant to the regiua
M 2
164 B E R T I U S.
r
professor bf mathematics. He died Oct. 3, 1629. A rery
fine engraving of him occurs at the bacK of the dedication
to Louis XIII. of his ** Theatrom Geographice veteris,**
but (the collectors will be glad to hear) only in some copies
of that work, which are supposed to have been presents
from the author.
Bertius W9A the author of a great many works, which
inay be divided into two classes, theological and geogra-
phical ; the former, which were the cause of all his mis*
fortunes, are now forgotten, but the latter are still read
or consulted. The most in demand is his ** Theatrum
Geographic vetemm,'' 2 vols. fol. 1618 and 1619, yet this
collection, of which Bertius was only the editor, and not
a very careful editor, seems to have enjoyed more repu-
tation than it deserves. The first volume is entirely com*
posed, of Ptolomey's Geography, in Greek and Latin, re-
printed from . an edition published about fourteen years
before by Montanus, and conmoonly called Mercator*s edi-
tion, and Bertius hsis only added some various readings
from a manuscript in the Palatine library, with which Syl-
burgius had furnished him ; but on the other hand, he has-
neglected to correct a great many errors in Montanus's
edition. The second volume contains Antoninus's Itinerary,
and the works of other geographers, without a single note
from his own pen. His other geographical works are, 1*
** Commentariorum rerum Germanicarum libri tres,*' Am-
sterdam, 1616, 4to, and 1635, 12mo. 2. '^ Notitia cho-
rographica episcopatuum Galliae/' Paris, 1625, fol. 3.
•* Breviarium orbis terrarum,'* Leipsic, 1662, 12mo. This
is added at the end of Cluverius's Introduction to^univer-
sal Geography, Amst. 1676, 4to. 4. '^ Imperium Caroli
M. et vicinsB regioues, Paris, fol. a map, which has been
since added to Hondius^s Atlas. 5. ** Variie orbis universe
et ejus partium tabulse, &c.'' oblong 4to. 6. '' De agge-
ribus et pontibus hactenus ad mare extructis digestum
novum,*' Paris, 1629. Bertius was also editor of *^ lUus-
U'ium et clarorum virorum epistolas selectiores,'' Leyden,
1617, 8vo, and wrote prefaces to various editions of books. *
SERTOLI (John Dominici:), an Italian antiquary of
the last century, was born of a noble family, at Mereto in
the Frioul, March 13, 1676, and after studying atVeniee,
1 Biog. Udit. — Chaufepie Diet. Hist. — ^Moreri. — Meursii Athens Batave.— »
Toi>peii Bibl. Belg.— -Baillet Jugemens des Savan«. — ^Fieheri Theatrum.^-SaxiA
OiMina«.-<-JB«nBMiii*s Syllofe Epist. vol. 1. p. 67&
B E R T O L I. 16S
was ordained a priest in 170a The same year he became
canon* coadjutor of the patriarchal church of Aquileia, and
soon after titular. He had already acquired a decided taste
for the study of antiquities, and was in a country abound^
ing with objects to gratify it, most of which/ however, had
been greatly neglected, and even destroyed by the ignorant
inhabitants, who converted every remains of antiquity in
stone to the common purposes of building. To prevent
this for the future, Bertoli formed a society of men of
learning and similar taste, who began with purchasing
every valuable relic they could find, and placed the col-
lection in the portico of the canons' house, where it soon
became an object of curiosity, not only to travelFers, but
to the Aquileians themselves. At the same time he copied,
or caused to be copied, all the monuments in the town, and
in the whole province, and entered into an extensive cor-
respondence with many eminent characters, particularly
Fontanini, to whom he liberally communicated his disco-
veries, in hopes they might be useful to that learned pre*
late; but be having deceased in 1736, Bertoli resolved to
take upon himself what he had expected from him, and
was encouraged in this design by Muratori and Apostolo
Zeno. Accordingly he began to publish a series of me-
moirs and dissertations on subjects of antiquity, which he
wrote at his native place, Mereto, where he resided for
such periods as his official duties at Aquileia permitted.
In 1747 he was elected a member of the Columbarian so-
ciety of Florence, and next year of that of Cortona, and
died a few years afterwards, but the date is not ascertained
in either of our authorities. His principal publication is
entitled '< Le Antichita diAquileja profane e sacre," Ve-
uiae 1739, foL He had made preparations for a second
and third volume, but did not live to complete them. Se-
veral of his letters and dissertations relative to this work,
and to various subjects of antiquity, are printed in Calo-
g^ra's valuable collection, vols. XXVI. XXXIII. XLIII.
XLVIL XLVIII. &c.; others are inserted in the Memoirs of
r the Columbarian Society of Florence, and in similar col-
lections. ^
BERTON (WilliamJ, an eminent divine of the four-
teenth century, and doctor in that faculty, flourished about
the year 1381, in the reign of Richard II. and was some
' Bio|;. Univ.— ^SaxtiOaomasticoQ.
16« B E R T O N*
time chancellor of the university of Oxford. He is' chiefly
remarkable for bis opposition to the doctrines of WicklifF:
for, by virtue of bis office, as governor of the university^
be appointed twelve censors, six of the order of mendi*
cants, and six seculars, consisting of divines and lawyers,
to examine WicklifF*s opinions ; who accordingly declared
bim an heretic. He wrote likewise several pieces upon the
subject of WickliflF's pretended heresy ; particularly ** De-
terminations against WicklifF; a treatise concerning his just
condemnation ;^' and another ^< against the Articles ex«
tracted from his writings.*' Bale and Pits give him very
different characters, according to their principles. '
BERTOUX (William), a French Jesuit, was bom Nov.
}4, 1723. On the suppression of his order he retired to
Senlis, where he had a canonry given him, and where be
died, but when is not mentioned. He wrote the following
books which were much esteemed in France, but would
not suffer his name to appear to any of them : 1. ^^ Histoire
poetique tir^e des poetes Frangais, Paris, 1767, 12mo, and
a fourth edition, 1786. 2. '^ Anecdotes Fran^aises depuis
Tetablissement de la monarchie jusqu'au regue de Louist
XV." ibid. 1767, 8vo. 3. " Anecdotes Espagnoles et Por-
tugaises," Pafis, 1773, 2 vols. 8 vo.*
BERTRAM. See RATRAMNUS.
BERTRAM (Cornelius Bonaventure), minister, and
professor of Hebrew at Geneva, at Frankentbal, and at Lau***
sanne, was bom atThouars in Poitou, in 1531, of a re-
putable family, allied to the house of la Trimouille, and
escaped the massacre of St. Bartholomew by flying to Cahora
and afterwards to Geneva. He died at Lausanne in 1594*
He gave to the world, 1 . ^^ A dissertation on the Republic
of the Hebrews,'^ Geneva, 1580; again at Leyden in 164^1^
8vo, written with precision and method. 2. ^^ A revision
of the French Bible of Geneva, according to the Hebrevr
text,'' Geneva, 1588. He corrected that version (bji Cal-
vin and Olivetan) in a great number of places; but iu
others he has too closely followed the authority of the Rab*
bins, and not sufEciently that of the old interpreters. It
is the Bible still in use among the Calvinists. 3.. A new
edition of the ^' Thesaurus lingu^ sanctsB*' of Pagninus.
4. " A parallel of the Hebrew Tongue with the Arabic.'*
1 Bioff. Brit— Ba1e.-»Pit8.-*Wood*s Annals of Oxford.
• Bioi;. Univ.— DieU Hist,
BERTRAM.. l€7
S. ^ Luciibrationes Frankendalenses,*' 1685, or explana-
tions on difficult passages of the New Testament, so called
because written at Frankentbal. '
BERTRAM (Phiup-Ebnbst), professor of law at HaUe^
was born at Zerbst, in 1726, and studied at Halle and
Jena. In 1746 he was governor of the pages at Weimar ;
in 1753, private secretary, and then secretary of state,
which he resigned in 1761, in order to retire to Halle,
where he became professor of law, and died Oct. 13, 1777.
He was ^-man of high reputation for learning, especially
in history and feudal law.^ His principal works, which aro
all in German, are, 1. *^ An Essay on the History of Learn-*
ing,*' Gotha, 1764, 4to. 2. <^ History of the house and
principality of Anhalt,*' continued by M. J. C. Krause,
part I. 1780, 8vo. 3. ** Ferreras' History of Spain", con-
tinued down to his own time, vols. 11, 12, and 13, 1762«*-«
1772, 4to.»
BERTRAND (Euas), an ingenious Swiss writer, long
known by his labours in various branches of philosophy
and literature, and especially in natural history and poli*
tical and rural economy, was born at Orbe in Swisserland,
in 1712. In 1739 he was pastor of that village, and in
1744 preacher at Bern, whence he was called by the late
king of Poland, ^ preside at a boai:4 <>f commerce, agri-
culture, and useful^ arts, the operations of which (and, if
we are not mistaken, its very existence) were suppressed
by the subsequent troubles of that unhappy country. He
was also a member of the academies of Stockholm, Ber<*
lin, Florence Lyons, &c. His principal works are, 1. ^ Ser*
mons prononc^s k Berne a Toccasion de la decouverte
d^une Conspiration centre I'etat," 1749, 8vo. Two of
these are by Bertrand, the third by J. J. Altmann. 2. *^ Me«
moires sur la Structure interieure de la Terre,'* 1752, 8vo.
3. ** Essais sur les usages des montagnes, avec un lettre
sur la Ni V 1754, 4to; a work which Denina styles ex^
cellent. His object is to prove that divine wisdom ia
strongly manifested in the creation of mountains ; and that
they are not, as many authors have asserted, imperfections
of the terrestrisil globe, much less the effects of a ruined
world. This he proves with considerable skill, but in some
respects is rather fanciful. 4. ^^Memoires pour servir i
i-Biog. Univ.— Diet. Hitt— Moreri.-*Baillet Jagemcns daa ffiiTnnii — fistii
OBomaH. > Biog« UnivefieUe.
1«8 B E R T R A N D.
■ •
B^.instruire des tremblements de terre de la Suisse, princU
p^Iement pour Fannie 1755, avec quatre Sermons pro-
nonc6es a cette occasion/' 1756, 8vo. 5. The same " Me-
moires,'* published separately, 1757, 8vo, and much en-
larged, a work embracing all that was known before on the
subject, and enriched with many candid and able illustra*
tions by the author. 6. " Le Philanthrope," 1758, 2 vols.
i2mo, 7. ^^ Recherches sur les langoes anciennes et mo«
dernes de la Suistse, et priucipalement du pays de Vaud,'*
1758, 8vo. 8. A translation of Derham's Astro- theology ;
and of BuUinger's Confession of Faith, both in 1760. 9.
** Museum," 1763. 10. ** Dictionnaire Universel des Fos-
siles propres, etdes Fossils accidentels," 1763, 2 vols. 8vo.
11.^^ Recueil de divers trait^s sur Thistoire naturelle de la
Terre etdes Fossiles," 1766, 4to. 12. " Morale de TEvan-
gile,'' 1775, 7 vols. 8vo. 13. "LeThevenon, ou les Jour-
nees de laMontagtie, 1777, 12mo, 1780, 2 vols. 8vo. 14.
^^ Essai philosophique et moral sur le Plaisir,'' 1778, 12mOy
an excellent work, which, from the account given of it in
the Monthly Review, seems highly disserving of a transla-
tion. 15. ^^ Le solitaire du Mont-Jure, recreations d'un
philosophe,'' 1782, 12mo. The time of this writer's death
is not ascertained, but he was considerably advanced in
years at the period of this last publication. ^
BEBTRAND (John Baptist), a French physician,
and member of the academy of Marseilles, was born at
Martigue in Provence, July 12, 1670. He was at first
intended for the church, and went through a theological
course, but his inclination leading him to medicine, he
studied the same at Montpellier. After having practised
for some time in his native country, he removed with his
family to Marseilles. His three colleagues at the Hotel-
Dieu of that city having withdrawn their services during
the contagious fever of 1709, he remained alone to pre-
scribe for the poor suiferers, and escaped without an attack,
which probably encouraged him to show the same. zeal
during the • plague in 1720. On this occasion, however,
he saw almost his whole family fall a sacrifice to their hu-«
mane care of the sick, and was himself attacked with the
disorder, but at length recovered, and the government, in
fionsideration of his services, granted him a pension, which
)ie enjoyed until his death, Sept. 10, 1752. He was a
*
1 Bioff. Univ.— Month. EeY. vol LVIXI.
B E RT R A N D. 16^
man of amiable temper, disinterested^ kind and ingenuous.
HeVrote, 1. ^< Relation historique de la Peste de Mar*
. seille," Lyons, 1721, 12mo. 2. " Lettres sur le mouve-
ment des Muscles et sur les Esprits Animaux." 3. *^ Re-
flexions sur le systeme de la Trituration,^' published in the
Journal de Trevoux. 4. " Dissertation sur Tair maritime,'*
Marseilles^ 4to, &g. *
BERTRANDI (John Ambrose Maria), an eminent ana--
tomist and surgeon, was born at Turin, Oct. 18, 1723. His
father, who was oiriy a poor phiebotomist and barber, con-
trived to give him an education, and intended to bring him
up to the church, which was thought most likely to afford
him a maintenance, but one of their friends Sebastian
Klingher, then professor of surgery, induced him to study
that branch, in which he soon evinced *great talents^ He
was only twenty-two when he read a dissertation on Oph-
thalmography, on which Haller and Portal bestowed the
highest praise. The celebrated Bianchi connected him^
self with him, but after a few years their friendship was
interrupted by the literary disputes which took place be-
tween Bianchi and Morgagni, and Bertrandi preferring
what he thought truth to a friendship which was of great
importance to him, was obliged to leave Bianchi. In 1747
be was elected an associate of the college of surgery, and
the same year published his " Dissertation on the Liver,'*
which, Haller says, contains many useful observations. In
1752, the king, Charles Emmanuel, offered to bear his ex-
penses to Paris and London. He accordingly went to Paris,
where he increased his knowledge and practice of the art
of surgery, and in consequence of his two papers read in
the academy, ** De Hydrocele,'' and ** De hepatis absces-
sibus qui vulneribus capitis superveniunt," - was admitted
as a foreign member. In 1754 he went to London, and
lodged for a year with sir William Bromfield, our late
eminent surgeon, during which time» as at Paris, he stu-
died hospital practice, and cultivated the acquaintance of
men of science. On his return to Turin, the king founded
for his sake a new professorship of practical surgery and
anatomy, and at Bertrandi's request, built a handsome
amphitheatre in the hospital of St. John. He was after-
' wards appointed first surgeon to the king, and professor
«f chemistry in the university. Surgery now, which had
1. Biog. UniTerselle.
% •
170 B E R T R A N D I.
been practised iu Piedmont only by regimental surgeoM,
, began to wear a new face > and a literary society, whicb
was afterwards completely established under the title of
the *^ Boyal Academy of Sciences/' b^an now to hold its
meetings, and Bertrandi contributed some valuable papers
to the first volume of their Memoirs. His principal pnbli*^
cation was his '^ Trattato delle operazioni di Chirurgia,**
Nice, 1763, 2 vols. 8vo, whidi was afterwards translated
into French and German. He was employed on a treatise
on anatomy and a comparative history of ancient and mo-*
dern surgery, when death deprived science and humanity
of his valuable labours, in 1765, in his forty-second year.
His works already published, and bis posthumous works^
edited by Pencbienati and Brugnone form 13 vols, 8vo»'
BERULLE (P£t£R), aD eminent cardinal, was borii iii
1575, at the chateau de Serilli,near Troyesin Champagne^
of a noble family, and havitig embraced the ecclesiastical
state, distinguished himself early in life by his piety and
bis learning. He got great reputation in the famous con*
ference of Footainbleau, where du Perron contended with
du Plessis-Momay, called the pope of the Hugueuots. He
was sent by Henry IV.. to whom he was chaplain, into
Spain, for the purpose of bringing some Carmelites to
Paris, and it was by his means that this order flourished so
much in France. Some time afterwards he founded^he
Congregation of the Oratory of France, of which he was the
first general. This new institution was approved by a bull
of pope Paul V. in 1613, and has always been reckoned by
the catholics a great service done to the church. In that
gregation, according to the expression ' of Bossuet, the
members obey without dependance, and govern withoot
ccunmanding ; their whole time is divided between study
and prayer. Their piety is liberal and enlightened, their
knowledge useful, and almost always modest. Urban VIIL
rewarded the merit of Berulle by a cardinal's hat. Henry
IV. and Louis XHI. vainly strove to make him accept of
considerable bishoprics ; on Louis's telling him that he
should employ the solicitation of a more powerful advocate
than himself (meaning the pope) to prevail upon him to
accept the bishopric of Leon, he said, ^^ that if his majes-
ty continued to press him, he should be obliged to quit
las kingdom.*' This cardinal came over with Henrietta
1 Biog. Uoifenelle.
B E R U L L E. 171
Maria, queen of Charles I. to England^ as her confessor,
to the court of which he endeared himself by the sanctity
of his morals, and the extreme propriety of his behaviour^
although his errand had afterwards its weight in enoreasing
the fatal unpopularity of the royal family. He died sud«
denly, Oct. 2, 1629, aged fifty-five, while he was cele-*
brating the sacrament, and had just repeated the words,
^' banc igitur pbiationem,'* which gave occasion to the foU
lowing distich :
'* Coepta sub extremis nequeo diun sacra sacerdos
Perficere^ at saltern victima perfWiam."
**' In vain the reverend pontiff tries
To terminate the sacrifice $
Himself within the holy walls "*
The heaven-devoted victim falls/*
I
St. Francis de Sales, Caesar de Bus, cardinal Bentivog*
lio, &c. were among his friends and the admirers of his
virtues. An edition of his controversial and spiritual works,
published in 1644, 2 vols, folio, was reprinted in 1647,
1 vol. folio, by father Bourgoing, third general of the ora-
tory. His life was written in French, by the abb6 Cerisi,
Paris,* 1646, 4tQ, and in Latin by Doni d'Attichi, after-
wards bishop of Autun, 1649, 8vo, and lastly by Carrac-
cioli, Paris, 1764, 12mo.*
BERYLLUS, bishop of Bostra in Arabia, flourished
about the year 230. After he had for a long time govern*
ed his see with great prudence and fidelity, be fell into
several new and uncommon opinions, asserting" that Christ
before his incarnation had no proper subsistence, nor any
divinity, but that of the Father residing in him. Th©
bishops being assembled in order to dissuade him from this
error, and having had several conferences with him upon
that subject, Origen was desired to engage in the dispute,
' which be did with such success, that Befyllus immediately
retracted his opinion. He wrote several treatises and,
epistles, particularly to Origen, in which he returned him
thanks for the pains which he had taken in recovering hioi
from his errors. Eusebius tells us, that he left behind hin^
several monuments of an elegant genius ; by which Henry
Valesius in his notes upon that passage supposes that he
means the hymns and poems which Beryllus probably wrote.
» Biog. Universellc-^Dupin. — Moreri. — Perault's " Hommta Illustrcf."—
Crcn. Dict.-HSeward's AAf cdotes.
172 B E R V L L U S.
There was extant in St Jerom's time, the dialogue between
Origen and our bishop, in which the latter was convinced
of bis erroneous notions ; and this seems to be the same
work which is mentioned by Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical
History, where he tells us, that there were extant at that
time the acts of Beryllus and the synod assembled upon
his account, in which were inserted the questions of Origen
iirged against him, and the whole series of the conference
between them. *
BESIEflS (Michael), a canon of St. Septilchre*s at
Caen, and a member of the academies of Caen and Cher->v
burgh, was bom at St. Malo, and died at Caen, Dec. 17S2.
He published, 1. *^ Chronologic historique des baillis et
des gouverneurs de Caen,'* 1769, 12mo. 2. *^ Histoire
sommaire de la ville de Bayeux," 1773, 12mo. 3. ** Me-
moires historiques sur Porigine et le fondateur de la colie*
giale du St. Sepulcre a Caen, avec le catalogue de sies
doyens.'' 4. Various dissertations in the literary Journals^
in D'Expilly*s " Dictionnaire de France," and in that of
the nobility, &c. *
BESLER (Basil), a botanist, who was born in 1561, at
Nuremberg, where he carried on the business of an apothe-
cary, and died there in 1629, is entitled to notice chiefly
for having published the most beautiful botanical work that
had then appeared, the celebrated " Hortus Eystettensis,'*
Nuremberg, 1613, folio. It contains, a description, and
places of the greater part of the plants which the bishop of
AichstaBdt, John Conrad d^ Gemmingen, a liberal patroa
of the arts, had cultivated in his gardens and orchards on
mount St. Willibald, on the top of which is his episcopal
seat. This work, executed with uncommon magnificence,
at the expence of the bishop, made a new sera in the his-
tory both of botany and engraving. It is illustrated by three
hundred and sixty-five plates of the atlas folio sis^e, deacrip*
tive of one tbousahd and eighty-six plants, the first, after
the " Pbytobasanos" of Columna, that were engraved on
copper, all botanical engr£^vings being formerly on wood.
They are in general well designed, but do not point out
the parts of fructification, and are classed only according
to the seasons. Basil Be3ler had the care of this work, aqd
although he was deficient in literature, and was not evei\
» Gen. Diet.— Cave. — Lardner's Works. — ^Dapin.— Moreri,
• Biog, Universelle. •. .
B E S L E R. 17S
icquainted with Latin, yet his zeal and love of the science
enabled him to perform his task with considerable skill.
Jerome Besler, his brother, a man of more learning, sup*
plied the synonymy of the plants, and part of the descrip-
tions, and Louis Jungermann, professor at Giessen, was
tbe author of the text. A second edition appeared at Nu«
rembergin 1640, at the expence of Marquard IL bishop
of Aichstaedt, in large folio, but is inferior to the first.
Basil Besler also collected a museum of many of the curio-
sities of the three kingdoms of nature, which he had en-
graven at his own expence, and published under the title
of '^ Fasciculus rariorum et aspectu di^niorum, varii gene-
ris quse collegit et suis impensis seri ad vivum incidi cura-
vit Basilius Besler,^* Nuremberg, 1616 — 1622. In ho-
nour of Besler, Klumier named a genus of plants Besleria. \
BESLER (Michael Robert), a physician at Nurem-
berg, the son of Jerome and nephew of Basil, who was
born in 1601, and died in 1661, wrote, 1. <^ Gazophyla-
cium rerum naturalium,^' Nuremberg, 1642, with tbirty-
fiiur plates; Leipsic, 17S3, foL with thirty-five plates,
forming a continuation of his uncle Besler^s work. In 1716,
J. Henry Lochner repaired the plates, and with some ad-
ditions to the text, published them under the title of '* Ra-
riora mussel Besleriani," Nuremberg, 1716, fol. 2. ** Ad-
mirandsB fabricse humanse mulierispartium, &c. delineatio,^'
Nuremberg, 1640, folio, the figures as large as life^ and
on copper-plate. 3. '^Observatio anatomico*medica, &c.**
an account of a monstrous birth, Nuremberg, 1642, 4to.
4. ^' Mantissa ad viretum stirpium Eystettense-Besle-
rianum,^' ibid. 1646 and 1648, fol. forming a supplement
to the " Hortus Eystettensis." *
BESLY (John), king's advocate at Fontenaye-Ie-Comte,
and an able French antiquary, was born at Coulonges-Ies-
Royaux in Poitou, in 1572, and died in 1644. In 1614,
he distinguished himself in the assembly of the states by
opposing the receiving of the council of Trent, but he was
better known by his assiduous attention to the antiquities
of France ; and his works published after his death by his
son and Peter I>upuis his friend, justly entitle him to be
considered as an accurate and judicious historian. These
are, 1. ^' Histoire des comtes de Poitou et dues de Gui-
S Biog. UniTerselle.— >Sa»i Onoraasticoo.
• iM<L— fialUr'i Bibl. BoUn.-^Fr«htri TbMtrum.
n* ^ B E S L Y.
cnne," Paris, i647, foL This was the result of forty jrears
research, and the extraordinary light ht has been able to
^hrow upon eircumstances before in comparative obscurity^
may form a sufficient apology for some few mistakes.
2. " Des eveques de Poitiers, avec lespreuves," 1647, 4to.
This is a collection of useful documents, but without any
arrangement, and evidently left unfinished by the author.
He wrote also some pieces of less note, such as a ^* Com*
mentaire sur Ronsard,^' something of which kind wafi at«
tempted by many of his contemporaries.^
BESOIGNE (Jerome), a doctor of the Sorbonne, wa^
born at Paris in 16S6, of an old family of booksellers, and
after prosecuting his studies with great success, became
professor of philosophy in the college of Plessis, and as-*
sistant to the principal. His particular talent for the reli-
gious instruction of his pupils occasioned his being fre-
quently invited to other colleges of the capital for his ad-^
vice and assistance ; but his opposition to the famouis bull
Unigenitus, gave so much offence to the higher powers
that he was expelled the college of Plessis^ deprived of the
privileges of his doctorate, and at last banished the king-
dom. This sentence, however, being taken off after a
year, he returned to his friends,' and employed himself in
writing the following works, 1. ** Concorde des livres de
la Sagesse, on Morale du St Esprit,'' 1737, 1746, 12mo.
2. '^Concorde des Epitres canoniques, ou Morale des
Ap6tres,'* 1747, 12mo. 3. " Principes de la perfection
Chretienne et religieuse,'' 1748, 12mo, often reprinted.
4: " Histoire de Tabbaye de Port-royal," 1756, 8 vols.
12mo. 5. ^^ Reflexions theologiques sur le premier voL
des lettres de rabb6 de Villefroi a ses eleves, &c.'* 1759,
respecting a controversy with Villefroi and his disciples
on the conduct of God towards his church. 6. ^ Priiicipes
de la Penitence et de la Justice,'* 1762, 12mo. Besoigne
has th^ character of a pious man and an able divinei, but it
is objected that some of his works of the practical kind are
rather deficient in that unction, as the French term it, which
gives success and popularity to works of that description.
Besoigne died of a nervous disorder, the nature of which
his physicians could not discover, Jan. 25, 1763.*
BESOLD, or BE80LDUS (Christopher), an eminent
lawyer, and law-professor at Ingolstadt^ was bom atTubin-
1 Bio|f. UniT. — ^Aforeri. — Niceron, vol. XLI«
* Btog. Unir.-^Dict. Hist.
B E S O L D. 175
fen in 1577, and was professor of law in 1635, when he
lurned Ronian catholic, and left his place to become coun-
sellor at the court of Austria, wl/ence he went to Ingolstadt,
and died there Sept 15, 1638. At this juncture the pope
was about to have offered him a professor's chair at Bo-
logna, with a pension of four thousand ducats. He was
the author of a great many works on subjects of law and
history, all which shew that he had accumulated a greater
stock of learning than he had time or judgment to me-
thodize. 1. " Synopsis rerum ab orbe condito gestarum,
usque ad Ferdinandi imperium,'' Franeker, 1698, 8vp.
2. ^ Synopsis doctrinse politicoe.'' 3. ** Historia imperii
Constantinopolitani et Turcici.^' 4. " Series et succincta
narratio rerum a regibus Hierosolymarum, Neapoleos et
SicilisB gestarum." 5. " Dissertationes philologicae," 1642,
4to. One of these, on the history of printing, may be
teen in Wolf's ** Monumenta typographica.** 6. " Pro-
dromus vindiciarum ecclesiast. Wirtenbergicarnm,'* 1636,
4to. 7. " Documenta rediviva monasteriorum Wirtemb,"
Tubing. 1636, 4to. These two works, although surrepti-
tiously printed at Vienna in 1723 and 1726, fol. are un-
commonly rare, as they were suppressed along with the
following articles. 8. " Virginum sacrarum monumenta^
jtc.** 9. ^' Documenta concementia ecclesiam collegia-
tarn Stuttgardiensem.'^ 10. ** Documenta ecclesiae Back-
henang,'^ These last five, which the Germans enumerate
among their rarest bibliographical curiosities, are all in 4to,
and printed at Tubingen, 1636. Saxius mentions a work
emitted in the above list, and probably Besold's first pro-
duction, *' Discussiones qaasstionum aliquot de usuris e%
annuis reditibus,'' Tubing. 1598, 4t0. * i
BESPLAS (Joseph Mary Anne Gros de), doctor of
the Sorbonne, chaplain to monsieur, and abbot of TEpau,
was born at Castelnaudari in Languedoc, Oct. 13, 1734,
dnd died at Paris, Aug. 26, 1783. He at first connected
JiiiDself with the community of St. Sulpice, and discharged
with not less fortitude than charity, the painful office of
accompanying and exhorting the criminals sentenced to
die« Afterwards, devptit)g his talents to the pulpit, he
preached with applause at Versailles and at Paris, though
Hhe rapidity of his utterance diminished somewhat of the
effect of his discourses. His sermon on the last supper
1 Blof. UDiTir.---Sakii OnonMit.— Koreri.— Nle«roD» roLXSiCiy.
176 B E S P L A S.
presented a piece of eloquence so aflecting on the sad con«
dition of the prisoners in the several gaols, that the imme-
diate regulation of them, aft to accommodations and healthy
with the establishment of the H6tel de Force, were among,
the happy effects of it. The abbe de Besplas was service-
able to humanity, not only by his discourses, but by his
works. We have by him a treatise, " Of the causes of
public happiness," 1769 and 1778, 2 vols. 12mo, replete
with excellent suggestions, political and moral, enriched
with great and noble ideas, to which nothing is wanting
but a more methodical arrangement and a style less
pompous. The same censure might be passed upon
his ^^ Essay on the eloquence of the pulpit," a production
of his youth, of which the second edition of 1778 was care-
fully retouched. The abb6 de Besplas was beneficent as
much from inclination, as from principle; he had the art of
uniting virlaoity with gentleness, of pleasing without, afford-:
ing room for scandal, of being instructive without pedantry^
and tolerant without indifference ; in his whole figure and
deportment was seen that serenity, that gentle gaiety, which
ever accompanies a contented mind.V
BESSARION (John), one of the revivers of literature
in the fifteenth century, was born, not at Constantinople,
as some writers assert, but at Trebisond, in 1389, a date
which is ascertained by his epitaph written by himself, but
as all the copies of this epitaph do not agree, Bandini,
one of his biographers, gives 1395,' as the time of his birth*
He entered into the order of St. Basil, and passed twenty-
one years in a monastery of Peloponnesus, employed in
the study of divinity and polite literature. The philosopher,
Gemistus Pletho was one of his masters. In 1438, when,
the emperor John Paleologus formed the design of going
to the council of Ferrara, to re-unite the Greek with the
Latin church, he drew Bessarion from his retirement,
made him bishop of Nice, and engaged him to accompany
him into Italy with Pletho, Marcus Eugenius, archbishop
of Ephesus, the patriarch of Constantinople, and several
other Greeks eminent for talents or rank. In the sittings
of this council, the archbishop of Ephesus distinguished
himself by his powers of reasoning, and Bessarion by the
, charms of his eloquence, but unfortunately from being
rivals in talents, they soon became enemies. Eugeniua
1 Diet Hist,— Biof . Umvenelle.— Moath. Rer. toL XU
B E S S A R I O N. 171
WAS not favourable to the scheme of uniting the Gfeek m4
Latin churches ; and Bessarion, after having been of a con*
trary opinion, declared for the Latins, which was the sido*
the emperor took. The union was accordingly announcedy
and in December 1439, pope Eugenius IV. to reward Hbm
zeal of Bessarion, created him a cardinal priest
Being now, in consequence of his new dignity, fixed ia
Italy, a step which was at the same time rendered necessary
by the commotions in Greece, where he was very unpopu*
lar, and the union universally rejected, Bessarion returned
to the studious and simple life he had led in his convent io
the Peloponnesus* His house became the resort of the
learned, and when he appeared abroad, his train was com*
posed of such men as Argyropulus, Philelphus, Valla^
Theodore Gaza, George of Trebisonde, and Cadderino*
He obtained the confidence and friendship of .several
popes. Nicholas V. appointed him archbishop of Siponto^
and cardinal-bishop; and Pius II. in 1463, conferred upon
him the title of Patriarch of Constantinople. On the death
of Nicholas V. the college of cardinals would have elected
him his successor, but this purpose was defeated by the
intrigues of cardinal Alain. Some years after, Bessarion
was likely to have succeeded Paul IL but to accomplish
this, it was necessary to secure the vote of the cardinal
Orsini by an act of injustice, which he refused. Orsini^
however, tendered bis vote on the same terms to the car*
dinal de Rovere, who had none of Bessarion's scruples, and
was elected. Paul Jovius tells a foolish story of Bessa-
rion's having lost this election, by the blundering reply of
his servant; and Gibbon, credulous enough when the
object of belief is worth nothing, has repeated it after him,
nor knowing that our countryman Hody had amply re*
futed it.
Bessarion was employed on four embassies of a delicate
and difficult kind. Three of them he conducted with sue*
ces9, but the fourth was less fortunate. Being sent into
France by Sixtus IV. to reconcile Louis XL with the duke
of Burgundy, and obtain assistance against the Turks, he
not only failed in these undertakings, hut it is said that the
king, in full court, offered him the grossest personal in*
dignities. Bessarion on this set out on his way to Rome,
and died at Ravenna, Nov. 19, 1472, of chagrin, accord*
ing to soipe authors, but more probably from age and
jinfirmity, being now eighty- three years old,, or at least^
Voi. V. N
V
Hi B E S S A R I O N.
according to Bandinrs calculation, seventy-seven. His body
was brought to Rome, and the pope attended the funeral,
an* honour never bestowed before on any cardinal. He
was celebrated in Latin by Platina, and in Greek by Mi-
chael Apostolius. Of Platina's eloge there have beert
many editions, but that of Apostolius was not. published
until 1793, by M. Fulleborn. Bessarion bequeathed his
library to the senate of Venice. It was particularly rich in
.manuscripts, which he collected at a great expence from
all parts of Greece. Tomasini drew up a catalogue of the
whole.
• Bessarion's writings are numerous. Almost all those on
theological subjects remain in manuscript, except some
that are inserted in the acts of the council of Florence, in
vol. Xin. of Labbe's collection, and in vol. IX. of Har-
douin*s. Complete catalogues of bis philosophical treatises,
discourses, and letters, may be consulted in Fabricius's Bibl.
Grace, and in Hody. His most celebrated works were his
Latin translations of Xenophon's Memorabilia, and Aris-
totle's Metaphysics, and his treatise " Contra ealumnia-
torem Platonis." That calumniator was George of Trebi-
^ond, and Bessarion composed the work during the heat
of the violent contest supported about the middle of the
fifteenth century, between the followers of Plato and those
of Aristotle, of which Boivin wrote the history in the se-
cond volume of the Academy of Belles Lettres. Gemistiis.
Pletho, an enthusiastic admirer of Plato, wrote a small tract
in which he attacked the Peripatetic philosophy with viru-
lent invective. Three learned Greeks of the age, Genna-
dius, George of Trebisond, and Theodore Gaza, had taken
up their pens in vindication of Aristotle. Bessarion en-
deavoured to reconcile the parties by shewing that Plato
and Aristotle were not so far removed from each other ki
opinion as was usually thought ; and having a gteat respect
for these two sages, he rebuked, in strong terms, the in-
considerate zeal of young Apostolius, who, without under*
standing the question, had written a violent and unreason-
able declamation against Aristotle. George, however, far
from following the example of this moderation, published^
in Latin, under the title of " Comparatio Platonis et Aris-
totelis,^* a long dissertation, in which he endeavoured to
demonstrate the vast superiority of Aristotle, and inveighed,
with great violenee, against Plato and his followers. - Bes-
sarion then wrote the treatiise above-mentioned aga^inst this
B K S S A R I O N. 179
calumniator of Plato, in which he endeavours to prov^ that
.the doctrine of Piato is conformable to that of the Scrip-
tures, and that bis morals were as pure and irreproachable
as his doctrine. Having thus defended Plato^ he attacks
.George of Trebisond, proving that he had mistaken the
sense of a great many passages, and that he had no right
to give his opinion of a philosopher whose works he did not
understand. Of this book there have been three editions^
all of which are scarce ; the first was printed at Rome in
1469, and the others at Venice by Aldus, 1503 and 1516, ^
BESSEL (Godfrey be), a learned abb6 of the convent
of Benedictines of Gottwich, in Austria, was born Sept.
5, 1672, at Buchheim in the electorate of Mentz. Lothairc^
Francis, archbishop of Mentz, of the family of the counts
of Schoenborn, employed him in divers embassies at Rome^
Vienna, and Wolfenbuttel, and admitted him of his privy
council. In 1714 he was chosen abb^ of Gottwich, and in
1720, the emperor Charles VI. sent him to Kempten to
accommodate some differences which had arisen there.
His convent having been destroyed by fire in 1718, he
succeeded in saving the library, and afterwa^rds having re-
built the convent with great magnificence, he enriched the
library with a great many manuscripts and rare books^
being an ardent lover of literature and learned men, and
himself very learned in history and diplomacy. The ^* Chrd-
liicon Gottwicense, pars prima et secunda,'' Tegerns^e,
1732, fol. has been often attributed to him, but there is
reason to thiiik that Francis Joseph de Hahn, afterwards
bbhop of Bamberg, was the real author. Bessel speaks of
him in the preface as his coadjutor. It contains a great
number of diplomas granted by the emperors from Conrad
I. to Frederick II. whose seals and arms are very accurately
epgraved, and throws so much light on the public law of*
Germany, that many writers have not scrupled to equal it
to father MabiUon's work ^^ De re diplomatica.'^ Besse}
also published St. Augustine's letters to Optatus, ** De
poenis parvulorum qui sine baptismate decedunt,'' Vienna,
1733. He died Jan. 20, 1749.*
BESTON, or BESODUNUS (John), a learned English
divine of the fifteenth century, was prior of the monastery
of Carmelite friars at Lynn in Norfolk, and distinguished,
^ Biog. UiiiT.-^Moreri.-«*DQpra.— But above all, Hodius dt Orscii Ulttttri*
^■f ,-^axii OnoniastifiOB. * Biog. Unin
K 2
ISO B E s T o n:
for the works which he published, and the great character
which he raised by bis merit. It seems probable from
Leland^s account of him, that he studied first at Cambridge^
aud afterwards at Paris, as he had the honour of receinng
the degree of doctor of divinity in both those uDiversities.
The same author telis us, that he was extremdly well
lulled ia natural philosophy, and a considerable divine ;
and Bal^ adds, that he was a very fluent and elegant
preacher in hia own language, and an acute disputant ii»
the schools. Pits lihewise observes, that he had a very
happy genius, and a solid judgment, and was eminent for
his piety and knowledge both in divine, and human learn-
ing ; that he was highly applauded for his subtilty in dis*
putation, and his eloquence in the pulpit ; and that Alan
de Lynn aiErmed of him, that he used >n his sermons to
open and explain the four-fold sense of the Scriptures with
the utmost perspicuity. Thomas Waldensis, in his Epistles
quoted by Bale and Pits, telis us, that he was aent iii the
year 1424 to the council held at Sienna in Itsdy, under
Pope Martin V. where he distinguished himself to great
advantage. He died at Lynn in the year 1428 under the
reign of king Henry VL His works are, 1. ** Compen-
dium Theologian Moralis.^* 2. '^ Ordinariie Qusntiones.*^
3. *' Super Universalibus Holcothi.^' 4. ^^Sermones in Evan-
gelia.*' 5. ^^ Sennones in Epistolas.'* 6. ^ Lecture sacrae
Scriptur»\" 7. " Rudimenta Logices/' 8. " De Virtutibo$
et Vitiis oppositis.'^ 9. <* Epistolarum ad diversos Libri duo/"
BETHAM (Edward, B. D.) an English divine, received
his education at Eton, of which seminary he was a distin-
guished ornament ; was elected from thence to King's col-
lege, Cambridge, in 1728, of which he became a fellow
in 1731; was some time bursar, and by the provost and
feHows, when senior fellow, was presented to the living of
Crreenford in Middlesex. He was also one of the Wbite-
hall preachers. In 1771 the provost and fellows of Etoft
elected him to a vacant fellowship in that society. So un-
exceptionable was his life, that he may truly be said to
have made no enemy in the progress of it. . His fortune
was not large, yet his liberality kep|; more than equal pace
with it, and pointed out objects to which it was impoiisibl^
for his nature to resist lending his assistance. In his life-
time he gave 2000/. for the better maintaining the botani-
^ GtB. Dkt from JLelaiid. Bale and PiU.— Tanner.
B E T H A M. 181
cil garden «t Cambridge, thereby . eocouragiog a aludy
wbich did peculiar honour to his taste, and material^ be«
nefited mankind. So humane was his disposition, that in
17S0 be founded and endowed a charity school in his own
parish ; and this most nobly in his life-time, when ayarice
might have forbid it, or the fear of want might have ex*
cepted against it. Having previously built a schooKhouse,
he gave, by a deed in chancery, the sum of 1600/. bank-
stod^ of which he appropriated 30/. a-year to a master
and mistress to instruct thirty boys and girls i thirty shil-
lings for coals for the school ; and th^ remainder of the in-
terest, except 10/. to clotlie such aged men and women as
should frequently attend the sacrament, is appropriated to
clothe the children, buy books, and keep the school in
repair. As in his life he indicated the most extensive libe-
rality, so at his death be exhibited a lasting record of his
gratitude. Impressed with the highest sense of the muni-
ficence of the royal founder of Eton, within whose walls
he had imbibed the first seeds of education, he by his will
directed a statue of marble, in honour of Henry VI. to be
erected at the expence of 700£ And, in order infallibly
to carry bis purpose into execution, he contracted a few
months before his death with Mr. Bacon. This statue was
accordingly executed by that 45xcellent artist, and is in
the chapel, with the inscription *^ Posuit Edvardus Be-
tham, collegii hujusce socius.'* The founder holds a mo-
del of Eton college in his hand. Mr. Betham also gave a
bast of the king to the college library, and placed some •
ancient painted glass in the chancel windows of his church
at Greenford. He died in 1783. ^
BETHUNE. See SULLY.
BETTERTON (Thomas), a celebrated English actor,
was bom in Tothill-street, We^minster, 1635; and, after
having left school, is said to have been put apprentice to
a bookseller. The particulars, however, relating to the
early part of his life, are not ascertained. It is generally
thought that he made his first appearance on the stage in
1656, at the opera-bouse in Cbarter-house-yard, under
the direction of sir William Davenant, and continued to
perform here till the restoration, when king Charles granted
patents to two companies, the one called the king^s com-
pany, and the other the duke^s. The former acted at the
theatre royal in Drury-lane, and the latter at the theatre
* Qest. Mag. 17<|d.— tyiQiit't SsviroiiSiF-'Hsnrood'f Mwmd EtoncBfci.
182 B E T T E R T O N.
in Lincoln's-Inn-fields. Betterton went over to Paris, at the
command of king Charles II. to take a view of the French
scenery, and at bis return made such improvements as
added greatly to the lustre of the English stage. For several
years both companies acted with the highest applause, and
the taste for dramatic entertainments was never stronger
than whilst these two companies played *, The two com*
panies were however at length united ; though the time of
this union is not precisely known, Gildon placing it in
1682, and Gibber in 1684. But however this may be, it
was in this united company that Mr. Betterton first shone
forth with the greatest degree of lustre ; for, having sur-
vived the famous actors upon whose model he had formed
himself, be was now at liberty to display his genius in its
full extent. His merit as an actor cannot now be very ac-»
curately displayed, and much of the following passage
from Cibber*s Apology, seems to be mere stage-cant and
declamation. Cibber says, " Betterton was an actor,
as Shakspeare was an author, both without competitors,,
formed for the mutual assistance and illustration of each
other's genius ! Hjw Shakspeare wrote, all men who
hav^e a taste for nature may read and know ; but with what
higher rapture would he still be read, could they conceive
how Betterton played him ! Then might they know the
one was born alone to speak what the other only knew to
write ! Pity it is that the momentary beauties, flowing
from an harmonious elocution, cannot, lilife those of poe-
try, be their own record!— ^ that the animated graces of
the player can live no longer than the instant breath and
jnotipn that present them, or at best can but faintly glim-
mer through the memory or imperfect attestation of a few
surviving spectators! Could how Betterton spoke be as
easily known as what he spoke, then might you see the
muse of Sl^akspeare in her triumph, with all her beauties
in her best array, rising into real life, and charming her
* Mr. Cibber says, that plays hay- the capital plays therefor^ of Shak«
ing been so long prohibited, people speare, Fletcher, and Jonson, were di-
cuoe ^them with greater eagefqess, vided beiwixt them, by the approba*
like folks after a long fast to a great tionof the court, and^ their own choice;
feast; and that women being noir so that when Hart was famous for
brought upon the stage was a great Othello, Betterton had no less a repu-
advantage; for on all former stages, t^tion for Hamlet. By this ipeans ^he
female cba|racters were performied by town was supplied with greater variety
boys, or young men of the most effe< of plays than could possibly have been
minate aspect He ^ake^ pot ice also ^hewn, had both pompanies been em-
of a rule which wa^ established, that ployed at the same time upon ihe same
no play which was acted at one bouse play. Gibber's Apology for b^ life^
fboaI4 be attempted at t^t other. All p. j\, '15, ^c.
B E T T E R T O N. l«S-
beholders. But alas! since all this is so far out of the*
reach of description, how shall I shew you Betterton?
Should I tlierefore tell you that all the Othellos, Hamlets^
Hotspurs, Macbeths, and Brutases, you have seen since'
bis time, have fallen short of bioi, this still would give you
uo idea of his particular excellence. Let us see then what
a particular comparison may do, whether that may yet
draw him nearer to you ? You have seen a Hamlet per-
haps, who, on the first appearance of his father^s spirit, t
has thrown himself into all the straining vociferation requi«;
site to express rs^e and fury ; and the house has thundered^
with applause, though the misguided actor was all the
while (as Shakspeare terms it) tearing a passion into rags*
I am the more ^bold to offer you this particular instance^^
because the late Mr. Addison, while I sat by him to seer
this scene acted, made the same observation ; asking me,,
with some surprise, if I thought Hamlet should he in »o^
violent a passion with the ghost, which, though it mightf
have astonished, had not provoked him ? For you may
observe, that in thi$ beautiful speech, the passion never;
rises beyond an almost breathless astonishment, or an im«
patience, limited by a filial reverence, to inquire into the.
suspected wrongs that may have raised him from his peaceful*
tomb ; and a desire to know what a spirit so seemingly
distrest might wish or enjoin a sorrowful son to ekecute
towards bis future quiet in the grave. This was the hght
into which Betterton threw this scene ; which he opened with
a pause of mute aniazement ! Then rising slowly to a
solemn, trembling voice, he made the ghost equally ter-
rible to the spectator as to himself. And in the descrip-
tive part of the natural emotions which the ghastly
vision gave him, ,the boldness of his expostulation was still
governed by d/e?ency ; manly, but not braving ; his vpice
never rising into that seeming outrage, pr wild defiance,^
of what he naturally revered. But, :alas ! to preserve this
medium between mouthing, ^nd meaning too little, to
keep the attention tnore pleasingly awake by a tempered
spirit, than by mere, vehemence of voice, is, of all the
master-strokes of an actor, the moat difficult to reach* Itt
this none have equalled Betterton. He that feels not him^
self the passion he would iraise, will talk to a sleeping auT.
dience. But this was never the fault of Qetterton. A faiH
tber excellence iii him was,, that he could vary his spirtt to
th^ different characters he acted. Those wild iippatienb
184 . B E T T E R T O N.
starts, tlntt fierce and flashing fire which be threw into
Hotspur, never came from the unruffled temper of bis
Brutus (for. I bave more than once seen a Brutus as warm
as Hotspur) : when the Betterton Brutus was provoked in
hb dispute with Cassius, bis spirits flew out of bis eyes ;, his
Steady looks alone supplied that terror which be disdained
an intemperance in his voice should rise to. Thus, with a^
settled dignity of contempt, like an unheeding rock, he'
repelled upon himself the foam of Cassius ; not but in some
part of this scene, where he reproaches Cassius, bis tem-
per is not under this suppression, but opens into that
warmth which becomes a man of virtue ; yet this is that
hasty spai^ of anger, which Brutus himself endeavours to
excuse* But with whatever strength of nature we see the
poet shew at once the philosopher and tbe hero, yet the
image of the actor's excellence will be still imperfect to
you, unless language could put colours in our words to
paint the voice with. Tbe most that a Vandyck can ar-
rive at is, to make his portraits of great persons seem to
think ; a Shakspeare goes farther yet, and tells yau what
his pictures thought ; a Betterton steps beyond them both,
and calls them from the grave to breathe, and be them-
selves again in feature, speech, and motion, at once united ;
and gratifies at once your eyei your ear, your understand-
ing. From these various excellencies, Betterton had so
full a possession of the esteem and regard of his auditors,
that, upon his entrance into every scene, he seemed to
seize upon the eyes and ears of the giddy and inadvertent.
To have talked or looked another way, would have been
thought insensibility or ignorance. In ail his soliloquies of
moment, the strongest intelligence of attitude and aspect
drew you into such an impatient gaze and ea<:^er e*xpecta«
tion,*that you almost imbibed the sentiment with your eye,
before the ear could reach it "
Endowed with such excellences, it is no wonder that
Betterton attracted the notice of his sovereign, the pro-
tection of the nobility, and the general respect of all ranks
of people. The patentees, however, as there was now only-
one theatre, began to consider it as an instrument of accu*
aaulating wealth to themselves by the -labours of others;
and this had such an influence on their conduct, that the
actors had many hardships imposed upon them, and were
oppressed in the most tyrannical manner. Betterton en*
ieasHmnA to convince the managers of the injustice and
B E T T E R T O Ni m
absui^ity of such a bebaTioar; which language not pleas*
ing them, they began to give away some of his capital
parts to young actors, supposing this would abate his in-
fluence. This policy hurt the patentees, and proved of ^
service to Betterton ; for die public resented having plays
ill acted, when they knew they might be acted better.'
The best players attached themselves wholly to Betterton,'
urging him. to turn his thoughts on some method of pro-
curing himself and them justice. Having a general ac**^
quaintance with people of fashion, he represented the af^
fidr in such a inanner, that at length, by the intercession
of the earl of Dorset, he procured a patent for building a
new playhouse in Lincoln's^inn-iields, which he did by
subscription. The new theatre was opened in 1695. Mr.
Congreve accepted a share with this company, and the
first play they acted was his comedy of Love for Love.
The king honoured it with his presence ; when Betterton
spoke a prcdogue, and Mrs. Bracegirdie an epilogue on the
occasion. But notwithstanding all the advantages this
company enjoyed, and the favourable reception they at
first met with, they were unable to keep up their run of
success, above two or three seasons. Vanbrugh and Gib-
ber, who wrote for the other house, were expeditious in
their productions ; and the frequency of new pieces gave
such a turn in their favour, that Bettertbn's company, with
all their merit, must have been undone, had not the
" Mouniing Bride" and the " Way of the World" come
to their relief, and saved them at the last extremity. In
a few years, however, it appearing that they could not
mairitaiu their independence without some new support
from their friends, the patrons of Betterton opened a sub-
scription for building a theatre in the Haymarket, which
was finished in 1706. Betterton however being now grown
old, and his health being much impaired by constant ap-
plication, declined the management of this house, resign-
ing it entirely to sir John Vanbrugh and Mr, Congreve ;
but from the decay of Betterton, many of the old players
dying, and other accidents, a re-union of the companies
seemed necessary, and accordingly took place soon aften
When Betterton had reached seventy, his infirmities
increased to a great degree* and his fits of the gout were
extremely severe. His circumstances also grew daily worse
and worse, yet he kept up a remarkable spirit and serenity
<tf mind; and acted when his health would permit. The
ISi BETTER TON.
public, remembering the pleasure he had giren them,
would not allow so deserving a man^ after fifty years ser*
▼ice, to withdraw without some marks of their bounty. In
the spring of 1709, a benefit, which was then a very un-
common. favour, was granted to him, and the play of
** Love for Love" was a<cted for this pnrpose; He himself
performed Valentine^ Mrs. Bracegirdle and Mrs. Barry,
though they had quitted the stage, appeared on this occa--
sion ; the former in the character of Angelica, and Mrs.
Barry in that of Frail. After the play was over, these two
actresses appeared. leading on Betterton ; and Mrs. Barry*
spoke an epilogue, written by Mr. Rowe.
Betterton got by this benefit 50<l/. and a promise was'
given him, that the favour should be annually repeated a«
long as he lived. Sept. 20, in the succeeding winter, he
performed the part of Hamlet with great vivacity. This
activity of his kept off the gout longer Uian usual, but the
fit returned upon him in the Spring with greater violence,
and it was the more uiilucky, as this was the time of his
benefit. The play he fixed upoti was^ the " Maid's Tra-
gedy," in which he acted the part of Melanthus ;• and no-
tice was given thereof by his friend sir Richard Steele in
the Tatler ; but the fit intervening, that he mightntot dis-
appoint the town, be was obliged to submit to external
applications, to reduce the swelling of his feet, which'
enabled him to appear on the stage, though he was obliged
to use a slipper. ** He was observed that day to have a
more than an ordinary spirit, and met with suitable ap-
plause ; but the unhappy consequence of tampering with
his distemper was, that it flew into his head, and killed
him." He died April 28, 1710, and was interred in West-
minster-abbey. Sir Richard Steele attended the cere-
mony, and two days after published a paper in the Tatler
to his memory^. Mr. Booth, who knew him only in his
* " Having received notice," says most charming poets I had ever read,
the author of this paper, " that the fa- Such an actoi* as Mr. Betterioa uught
mous Mr. Betterton was to be interred to be recorded with the same respect
this evening in the cloisters, near West* as Rof^chis amongst the Romans. The
minster-abbey, I was resolved to walk greatest orator has thought fit to quote
thither, and see the last office done to his jnOgment, and celebrate bis life.
a man whom 1 bad always very much Roscius was the example to all that
admired, and from whose action 1 had would form themselves into a proper
received more impressions of what is ' and winning behaviour His action
great and noble in human nature, than was ^o well adapted to the sentiments'
from the arguments of the most solid he expressed, that the youth of Rome^
philosophers, or the dcscriptioot of the thought they wanted oply to l^ Tif n
B E T T E R T O.N. 1S7
decline, used to say, that he never saw hitn off or on the
stage, without learning something from him ; and fre-
quently observed, that Betterton was no actor, that he put
on his part with bis clothes, and was the very man he un-
dertook to be till the play was over, and nothing more. So
exact was he in following nature, that the look of surprise
he assumed in the character of Hamlet, astonished Booth
(when he first personated the ghost) to such a degree, that,
he was unable to proceed in his part for some moments.
The following dramatic works were published by Mr. Bet-
terton, 1. " The Woman made a justice," a comedy. 2,
" The Unjust judge, or, Appius and Virginia," a tragedy,
written originally by Mr. John Webster, an old poet, who
ftourished in the reign of James I. It was only altered by
Mr. Betterton. 3. •' The Amorous widow, or the wanton
wife," a play written on the plan of Moliere*s George
Dandin. *
BETTI (Zachary), an elegant Italian poet of the last
century, was born at Verona, July 16, 1733, and began
bis studies at the Jesuits' college at Brescia, but was ob-
liged, by bad health, to return home to complete them*
The work on which his reputation chiefly rests is his poem
on the silk-worm, " Del baco da seta, canti IV. cop an-
notaziohi," Verona, 1756, 4to, in which he contrives to
tuous, to be as graceful in their ap- act it, observes, there could not be a
pearance as Roscius. I have hardly a word added ; that longer speeches had
notion, that any performance of anti- been unnaturat, nay impossible, in
quity could surpass the action of Mr. Othello's circumstances. The charm-
Betterton, in any of the occasions in ing passage in the same tragedy, where
which he has appeared on our stage, he tells the manner of winning the
The wonderful agony which he ap- affection of his mistress, was urged
peared in, when he examined the cir- with so moving and graceful an ener-
cumstances of the ' handkerchief in gy, that while I walked in the cloisters^
Othello; the mixmre of love that 1 thought of him with the same con-
iniruded upon his miud upon the in- cern as if I waited for the remains of a
Bocent answers f)esdemona makes, be- person who had in real life done all
trayed in hrs gestures such a variety that I had seen him represent. The
and vicissitgde of passions, as would gloom of the place, land faint lights
admonish a man to be afraid of his before the ceremony appeared, eon-
own heart, and perfectly convince tributed to the melancholy disposition
him, that it is to stab it to admit that I was in ; and I began to be extremely
worst of daggers, jealousy. Whoever afflieted that Brutus and Cassius had
reads in his closet this admirable i|ny difference; that Hotspur's gaU
scetie, will find that he cannot, unless lantry was so ^unfortunate; and that
he has as w^un an imagination as the mirth and good humour of Falstaff
Sbafcspeare himself, find any but dry, could not exempt him from tlie grave."
incoherent, aiui broken sentences ,: Tatler, No. 167.
b«t a reader that has seen Bettertcm \
1 Abndgefl in the last edition of this Dictionary from the Biog. Brit— Biog«
Prax^atica.— Cibbei^BliTjH.— fLif«ofBefterton« 1710, 8vo.
188 B E T T I.
be original on a subject that had been amply treated in
the sixteenth century, in the ^< La Sereide" of Tesauro.
He dedicated this poem to the marquis Spolverini, the
author of a didactic poem on the cultivation of rice, " La
coltivazione del Riso/' His poetical efforts were all direct-^
ed to the object of his more serious labours, agriculture.
His bust is in the hall of the academy of agriculture at Ve-
rona, of which he was the founder, and among other aca«
demies, he was a member of the Georg<>philes of Florence.
He wrote another poem, ^* he Cascine,'* with notes, but
it does not appear to have been printed. He died at Ve-
rona in 1788. > .
BETTINELLI (Saverio, or Xavier), one of the most
eminent Italian scholars of the last century, was born at
Mantua, July 18, 1718. After having studied among the
Jesuits in his own country and at Bologna, he entered that
society as a noviciate in 1736. He then commenced a
new course of studies, including the belles lettres, from
1739 to 1744, at Brescia, where cardinal Quirini, count
Mazzuchelli, count Duranti, and other learned men, form-
ed an illustrious academy, and there he became first no-
ticed by some poetical compositions for scholastic exer-
cises. When sent to Bologna to pursue his theological
course, be continued to court his muse, and wrote for the
theatre of the college, his tragedy of '* Jonathas.** The
number of literary characters in this city surpassed that
which he had found at Brescia. The Institute recently
founded by count Marsigli, the Clementine academy of
design, the school of the astronomical poet Manfredi, and
the growing reputation of his learned and ingenious pupils
Zanotti, Algarotti, &c. contributed to fix the attention of
the literary world on Bologna. In this society Bettinelli
completed his education, and attained the age of thirty.
In 1748, he went to Venice to teach rhetoric, and was fre-
quently employed in a similar manner in other places. Hi*
superiors intended him for a display of his * oratorical
talents, but the weakness of his lungs obliged him to de-
cline this. In 1751, he was appointed director of the col-
lege of nobles at Parma, and remained here superintend-
ing their poetical and historical studies for eight years,
occasionally visiting the principal cities of Italy, on busi-
ness, or for health. In 1755, he travelled through part of
^ Biof. UniveneHt.
B E T T I N E L L I. 189
m
Germany, to Strasburgh and Nancy, and returned through
Germany to Italy, bringiDg with him two young princes,
the sons or nephews of the prince of Hohenlobe^ who had
intrusted him with their education. The following year
he took a trip to France with the eldest of these princes,
and resided at Paris, in the college of Louis-le- Grand. It
was during this trip that he wrote the celebrated letters of
Virgil which were printed at Venice with those of Frugoni
and Algaretti. The opinions, and we may add, the literary
heresies, very ingeniously urged in these letters against
the reputation of the two great luminaries of Italian poetry^
and especially against Dante, created him many enemies,
and what gave him most uneasiness, involved him 'with
Algarotti. {See Algarotti). From Paris he made seve-
ral excursions into Normandy, Lorraine, &Cr and paid a
visit to Voltaire. From Geneva he went to Marseilles, &c.
and arrived at Parma in 1759. The same year he went to
Verona, where he resided until 1767, and resumed his
offices of preaching and education. He was afterwards
for some years at Modena, and when the order of the Jesuits
was suppressed, he was appointed professor of rhetoric.
On his return to his own country, he applied to his literary
pursuits with fresh ardour, and published many works, and
having regretted that he had published so much without
writing any thing to please the fair sex, doubtless owing
to his ecclesiastical character, he afterwards Endeavoured
to make up for this in some respect by publishing his cor-
respondence between two ladies, his letters to Lesbia, and
; lastly, his twenty-four dialogues on love. These be pub-*
i lished in 1796, when the war raged in all parts of Italy,
and when the siege of Mantua by the French obliged him
to leave it. He then removed to Verona, but in 1797^
after the surrender of Mantua, he returned again, and
although now almost in his eightieth year, res\;imed his
literary labours with his accustomed spirit In 1799, he
began a new edition of his works, which was completed at
Venice in 1801, in 24 vols. 12mo. He still preserved his
usual gaiety and health at the age of ninety, until Sept. 1 3,
1808, when he died after fifteen days illness, with the
firmness, says his biographer, of a philosopher and a Chris*
tian.
His principal works, according to his own arrangement
i in the edition above mentioned are, 1. ^^ Ragionamenti
filosofici* coQ annotazioni,*' a work both religious, moral,
190 B E T T I N E L L I.
and philosophical. 2. '' DelP entusiasmo delle belle arti/*
the professed design of which was to maintain and revived
the studies of imagination ; but Bettinelli was not himself
a decided enthusiast, and instead of the fire of imagina-
tion, we have here much of the coldness of method. 3«
Eight " Dialogbi d'amore," in which he expatiates on the
influences which imagination, vanity, friendship, marriage^
honour, ambition, science, &c. produce on that passion.
In this work is an eloge on Petrarch, one of his most happy
compositions. 4. ^< Risorgimento negli studi, nelle artt e
ne' costumi dopo il mille.'* This in Italy is considered as
a superficial view of the revival of arts and sciences after
the tenth century, and as interfering with Tiraboschi, who
was then employed on the same subject, but to those who
may think Tiraboschi's work, what it certainly is, insuffer-
ably tedious, this will afford much useful information in a
shorter compass. The dissertation on Italian poetry is
particularly valuable. 5. " Delle lettere e delle arti Man-r
tovane ; lettere ed arti Modenesi," an excellent work as
far as regards the literary history of Mantua, which was
now, if we mistake not, written for the first time. 6, " Let-
tere dieci di Virgilio agli Arcadi." Of these letters we.
have already spoken, and his attack on Dante and Pe-
trarch, although not altogether without such a foundation as
strict and cold criticism may lay, will not soon be forgiven
in Italy. 7. " Letters on the Fine Arts from a'lady to her
friend, &c." 8. His " Poetry," containing seven small
poems, or " poemetti," six epistles in familiar verse, .son-
nets, &c. In all these he is rather an elegant, easy, and
ingenious poet, than a great one. Hia ^^ Raccolte^' is a
spirited satire on the insipid collections of verses so com-
mon in Italy. 9. " Tragedies," entitled Xerxes, Jonathan,
Demetrius, Poliorcetes, and Rome saved, with some French
letters, and an Italian dissertation on Italian tragedy. The
** Rome saved" is a translation from Voltaire, indifferently
performed. He also wrote three other tragedies, but in-
ferior to the former, in which there is an evident attempt
at the manner of Racine. 10. " Lettere a Lesbia Cidonia
sopra gli epigrammi," consisting of twenty- five letters, with
epigrams, madrigals, and other small pieces, some trans-
lated and some original. 11, An ^^ Essay on Eloquence,"
with other essays, letters, miscellanies," &c. As a poet,
critic, metaphysician, and historian, Bettinelli's merit is
esteemed by his countrymen as of the first rate ; and with
B E T T I N E L L I. 191
/
/
respect to the art of composition, they account him one of
the purest and most elegant writers of the last century^
one of the few who laboured to preserve the genuine ^Ita-
lian idiom from any foreign mixture. ^
BETTINI (Mario), a learned Italian Jesuit, was born
at Bologna, Feb. 6, 1582. He entered the order in 1595,
and was afterwards moral, mathematical, aud' philosophical
professor in the college of Parma. He died at Bologna,
Nov. 7, 1637. To the study of the more abstruse sciences,
be united a taste for the belles lettres, and especially La-*
tin poetry. He has left, 1. *^ Rubenus hilarotragcedia sa«
tyra pastoralis," Parma, 1614, 4to. This singular com-
position, we are informed, was often reprinted in Italy^
translated into several languages, and illustrated by the
comments of Denis Ronsfert. 2. *^ Clodoveus, sive Lo-
dovicus, tragicum silviludium,*' Parma, 1622, 16mo. 3,
" Lycseum morale, politicum, et poeticum," Venice, 1626^
4to, a work divided into two parts, the first of which is in
prose, and the second in verse, entitled " Urbanitates
poeticae," a collection of lyric poetry, which was reprinted
the same year, under the title ** Eutrapeliarum, seu Ur-*
banitatum Libri IV." Venice, 1626, 4to. It was again re-
printed with the addition of the above two dramas, with
the title of ^^ Florilegium variorum poematum et drama-
tum pastoralium Libri IV." Lyons, 1633, 12mo, the ninth
edition. There is a copy in the British museum, probably
of the eighth edition, dated 1632, 8vo. 4. <^ Apiaria uni-
versae philosophias, mathematieas, &q." Bologna, 1641—^
1656, 3 vols. fol. At the end is an explanation of Euclid,
" Euclides explicatus," which was printed separately; Bo-
logna, 1642, and 1645, fol. 5. '^ ^rarium philosophiap^ ma«
thematicsB," ibid. 1648, 8vo. 6. "Hecreationum Matbe-
maticarum Apiaria XII. novissima," ibid. 1660, folio, which
is a reprint of the third volume of the ** Apiaria." *
BETTS (John), an eminent physician in the seventeenth
century, was son of Mr. Edward Betts by his wife Dorothy,
daughter of Mr. John Venables, of Rapley in Hampshire.
He was born at Winchester, educated there in grammar
learning, afterwards elected a scholar of Corpus Cbristi
college in Oxford, in February 1642, and took the degree
of bachelor of arts, February 9, 1646, Being ejected by
1 Biog. UaiTenelle. — Atheorain« iqU V, p. 330,
* 3ioff. Uaiverielle. — ^Moreri.
I9t B E T T S.
.the visitors appointed by the parliament in 1648, he sp^
lied himself to the study of physic, and commenced doc*
tor in that faculty, April 11, 1654, having accumulated
the degrees. He practised with great success at London^
but chiefly among the Roman catholics, being himself of
that persuasion. He was afterwards appointed physiciau
in ordinary to king Charles II. The time of his death is
not certainly known. Dr. Betts wrote two physical trea-
tises, the first, *^ De ortu et natura Sanguinis," Lond. 1 669,
'8vo. Afterwards there was added to it, ^ Medicinse cum
Philosophia natural! consensus,'V Lond. 1662, Svo. Dr*
George Thomson, a physician, animadverted upon our
author's treatise '* De ortu et natura Sanguinis," in his
** Tru^ way of preserving the Blood in its integrity." Dr.
Belt's second piece is entitled ^< Anatomia Thorns Parri
annum centesimum quinquagesimum secundum 6t novem
menses agentis, cum clarissimi viri Gulielmi Harviei alio*
rumque adstautium medicorum regiorum observationibus.'*
This Thomas Parr,' of whose anatomy. Dr. Betts, or rather^
according to Anthony Wood, Dr. Harvey drew up an ac-
count, is well known to have been one of the most remark-
able instances of longevity which this country has afforded.
He was the son of John Parr of Winnington, in the parish
of Alberbury, in Shropshire, and was booi in 1483, in the
reign of king Edward the Fourth. He seems to have been
of veiy different stamina from the rest of mankind, and
Dr. Fuller tells us that he was thus characterised by an eye-
witness,
<' From head to heel> his body had all over,
Aquick-set> thick-set^ nat*nd hairy cover.*'
At an hundrjed and twenty (or, more probably, an hundred
and two), he married Catherine Milton, who had a child
by him ; and after that sera of his life he was employed in
threshing, and other husbandry work. When he was above
an hundred and fifty-two years of age, he was brought up
to London, by Thomas, earl of Arundel, and carried to
court. The king said to him, '* You have lived longer
than other men, what have you done more than otb^
men ?" He replied, ^^ I did penance when I was an hun*f
dred years old." He slept away most of his time while he
lived in London, which was only two months. He died
in the Strand, on the 15th of November, 1635, and was
buried in Westminster-abbey. His death is thought to
have been accelerated by the change of his place and mode^
B E T T S. 195
ef living, and by the troublesome concourse of visitors and
spectators. There is said to be a portrait of him in Bel«
voir castle, and another in Ashmole^s museum. The most
valuable was in tlie collection of the duchess of Portland.
The fullest account of him extant, is in his " Life,'* by
Taylor, in the Harleian Miscellany. *
BETULEIUS (SiXTUS, or Xystus), whose name in
German was Birck, is in Latin Betula, and hence Betu*
leius^ was born at Memmingen, in Suabia, Feb. 2, 1500^
and studied at Basil, chiefly philosophy and the belles let-
tres, both which he afterwards taught with distinguished
reputation. He was principal of the college of Augsburgh,
over which he presided for sixteen years, and where he
died June 19, 1554. His principal works are, 1. " Notes ori
Lactantius,'' printed with the works of that father, at Basil^
156p, foL 2. " Commentary'^ on Cicero de natura Deo-
rum, ibid. 1550, 8vo, preferable to that of Peter Marso,
and reprinted in Lescalopier's " Humanitas Theologica/*
Paris, 1660, fol. 3. Three dramatic pieces, Susannah,
Judith, and Joseph, which were highly esteemed in that
age. They are inserted in the ** Dramata sacra," Basil,
1547, 2 vols. 8vo. 4. ^* Novi Testamenti Concordantia
GrsBca/* Basil, 1546, noticed by Freytag as a book of
great rarity. Freytag also informs us that Betuleius's first
employment, after finishing his studies, was that of a cor-f
rector of the press to the printers Cratander, . Frobenius,
and Bebelius. 5. ** Oracula Sybillina Gr. cum castiga^
tionibus,'* Basil, 1545, 8vo.*
BETUSSI (Joseph), an Italian scholar of considerable
celebrity, was born about the beginning of the sixteenth
century, at Bassano. In his early years he shewed a taste
for polite literature, and published some poems that were
read as very extraordinary productions, but unfortunately
he took for his guide the famous, or rather infamous, Peter
Aretin, both in his studies and his morals. Under such
an instructor, we are not to' wonder that bis irregnlaritiea
obstructed his advancement in life. For some time he
earned a subsistence at Venice in the printing-office of
Giolito, and afterwards wandered over Italy and evea
France, in quest of better employment, which his miscon-
duct always prevented. At length he was recommended
1 Biog. Brit— Ath. Ox. vol. 11.— Dodd's Ch. Hist toI. III.
-. ^ Biog. Universelle. — Moreri^ in Birck.-^Freyta^ Adpar«tiH Litter^ !• tad
Ill.-^Saxii Onomasticon.
Vol. V. O
194 B E T U S S I.
as secretary to a person of rank, and is said to hav6 gmi^
"to Spain in 1562, in this character, but on bis return to
Italy, he resumed his irregularities, and lived as usual on
precarious supplies. The time of bis death is not ascer-
tained, but according to a letter of Goselini, a contemporary
writer, he was living in 1565. His works are, 1, "Dia-
logo amoroso e rime di Giuseppe Betussi e d'altri autori,"
Venice, 1545, 8vo. This dialogue is in prose and verse;
and the speakers are Pigua, Sansovino, and Baffa, a poetess
of his time. 2. " II Raverta, dialogo, &c." Venice, 1544,
1545, &o. 8vo. 3. Italian translations of Boccaccio's
three Latin works, **De casibus Virorum etFoeminarum iU
lustrium ;" — ** De claris Mulieribus ;" — and " De Genea-
logia deorum ;'* the first, Venice, 1545, 8vo; the second,
with the addition of illustrious ladies from the time of Boc-
caccio to his own, ibid. 1547, 8vo; and the third, same
year, 4to, Of this last there have been at least thirteen
editions, and many of the others. 4. " An Italian trans-
lation of the ** Seventh book of the Eneid," Venice, 1546,
8vo, which afterwards made part of an entire translation
of that poem by different hands. 5. " La Leonora, Ra-
gionamento sopra la vera bellezza," Lucca, 1557,' 8vo,
noticed by Mazzuchelli and Fontanini among the rarest
books. 6. " Ragionamento sopra il Catajo, luogo dfel sig-
iior Pio Enea Obizzi," Padua, 1573, 4 to, Ferrara, 1669,,
tvith additions. If this description of a magnificent villa
was published by Betussi himself, it proves that he was
alive much later than we have before conjectured. 7.
^* L'Immagine del tempio di Dorina Giovanna d'Aragona,
dialogo," Venice, 1557, 8vo. 8. "Letters" and « Poems"
in various collections.*
BEVER (Thomas), LL. D. an eminent scholar and civi-
lian, was born at Mortimer in Berkshire in 1725, and edu-
cated at All Souls' college, Oxford, where he took the de-
gree of bachelor of law, July 3, 1753, and that of doctor,
Aprils, 1758, and was also a fellow of liis college. In
176^, with the permission of the vice-chancellor, and with
the approbation of the regius professor of civil law, whose
ill state of health had at that time deprived the university
of the fruits of his abilities, he gave a course of lectures
in the same school where Blackstone had delivered hia
celebrated commentaries, and sometimes, when the clasg,
of pupils was small, at his own chambers in Ail Souls' £ol-
1 Bto(. UiiiTerseU«<
BEYER. 195
lege. In 1766, he published '* A discourse on the study
jof Jurisprudence and tlie Civil Law, being an introduction
to (the above) course of lectures," 4to, but we presume
had not sufficient encouragement to publish the whole.
He was admitted into Doctors' Commons, Nov. 21, 1758^
and was afterwards promoted to be judge of the Cinque
Ports, and chancellor of Lincoln and Bangor. In 17B1,
he published " The history of the Legal Polity of the
Roman state ; and of the rise, progress, and extent of the
Roman Laws," Lond. 4to, a work in which he has made
deep researches into the constitution of the Roman i^tate,
and displays an extensive fund of learning, connected with
the investigation of the civil law. It is much to be lament-
ed that he did not live to complete hi^ plan : but by his
will he expressly forbade any part of his MSS. to be print**
ed, as not being iu a fit state for the public eye. Dr. Coote
says he connnitt^d the sequel of this work to the flames in
his last illness. He adds that ^^ he was a better scholar
than writer, and a better writer than pleader." His pri-
vate character is represented as truly amiable. ' As a rela-
tion he was affectionate and attentive ; and as a friend aC'-
tive and disinterested. His patronage of unprotected ge-
nius was a constant mark of the benevolence of his heart.
The late Mr. Hindle, and other adepts in music, of which
Dr.(Pever was a devoted amateur, attracted his esteem.
Sherwiii, the celebrated engraver, owed also the greatest
obligations to him ; his grateful sense of which he testified
by his valuable present of an unique painting (the only one
Sherwin ever executed), of Leonidas taking leave of his
wife and infant son, now or lately in possession of Sam.
Bever, esq. of Mortimer in Berkshire, the doctor's
younger brother. Dr. Bever died at his house in Doctors'
Commons, Nov. 8, 1791, of an asthma, which probably
would not then have been fatal, if he had suffered himself
.to be removed from London to a less turbid air, but in
what concerned his health, he was reluctant to take advice.
-He was interred in Mortimer church, Berkshire, and a
mural monument erected, in the chancel, to his memory.*
BEVERIDGE (William), a learned divine in the se-
venteenth century, and bishop of St. Asaph, was born at
'Barrow in Leicestershire (where his grandfather, father^
and brother, were vicars) in 1636-7. On the 24th of May^
! CooU's Catalogue of Ciyilians.-^eQt. Mag. vol. XXI. aad UYIIL 4ec*
0 2 '
/
av
196 B E V E R I D G E.
1653, he was admitted of St. John's college, Cambridge
and took his degrees of bachelor of arts in 1656, mas-
ter of arts in 1660, and of doctor of divinity in 1679.
At his coming to the university, he closely applied him-
self to the study of the learned languages ; and, by
his great diligence and application, soon became so well
skilled, particularly in all Oriental learning, that when
he Xvas not above eighteen years of age, he wrote a
treatise of the excellency and use of the Oriental tongues,
especially the Hebrew, Chaldee, Syriac, Arabic, and
Samaritan, with a Syriac Grammar, in three bpoks; which
he published when he was about twenty years of age.
He also distinguished himself, at the same time, by his
early piety and seriousness of mind, and by his exem-
plary sobriety and integrity of life, all which procured
him great esteem and veneration. January 3, 1660-1,
he was ordained deacon in the church of St. Botolph,
Aldersgate, by Robert, bishop of Lincoln ; and priest, in
^ the same place, the 31st of that month. About this time.
Dr. Sheldon, bishop of London, collated him to the vicar-^
jkge of Ealing in Middlesex. On the 22d of November,
1672, he was chosen, by the lord-mayor and aldermen of
London, rector of St. Peter's, Cornhill, London, and then
he resigned the vicarage of Ealing« He now applied him-
self, with the utmost labour and zeal, to the discharge of
his ministry, and so instructive was he in his discourses
from the pulpit, so warm and affectionate in his private
exhortations, so regular and uniform in the public wor-
ship of the church, and in every part of his pastoral func-
tion, and so remarkably were his labours crowned with
success, that as he himself was justly styled " the great
reviver and restorer of primitive piety," so his parish was
deservedly proposed, as the best model and pattern, for
the rest of its neighbours to copy after. His singular me-
rit having recommended him to the favour of his diocesan,
bishop Henchman, he was collated by him, on the 22d of
December, 1674, to the prebend of Chiswick, in the ca-
thedral of St. Paul's, London ; and, by his successor bi-
shop Compton, he was also, on the 3d of November, 1681,
collated to the archdeaconry of Colchester. In this dignity
he behaved, as he had done before in every station of life,
in a most regular^ watchful, and exemplary manner : and
not satisfied with the false, or at least imperfect, reports
yiv^a in by church-wardens at visitations, be visited every
B £ V E R I D G E, 197
parish within his archdeaconry in person. November the
5tb, 1684, he was installed prebendary of Canterbury, and
became also chaplain to king William and queen Mary.
In 1691, he was offered, but refused the see of Bath and
Wells, then vacant by the deprivation of Dr. Thomas Kenn,
for not taking the oaths to king William and queen Mary.
But though he refused that see, because, probably, being
a man of a tender conscience, he would not eat Dr. Kenn's
bread, according to the language of those times, he after-
wards accepted of that of 8t. Asaph, vacant by the trans-
lation of Dr. George Hooper to Bath and Wells, and was
consecrated July 16, 1704. Being placed in this eminent
station, bis pare and diligence increased in proportion as
his power in the church was enlarged ; and now when his
authority was extended to larger districts, he still pursued
the same pious and laborious methods of advancing the
honour and interest of religion, by watching over both
clergy and laity, and giving them all necessary direction
and assistance, for the effectual performance of their re^
spective duties. Accordingly, he was ho aoQuer advanced
to the episcopal chair, but in a pathetic-letter to the clergy
of bis diocese, he recommended to them the " duty of
catechising and instructing the people committed to their
charge, in the principles of the Christian religion ; to the
end they, might know what they were to believe. and do
in order to salvation :'' and lold them, ^^ he thought it ne-^
cessary to begin with that, without whix^h, whatever else
be or they should do, would turn to little or no account,
as to the main end of the ministry.^' And to enable them
to do this the more effectually, he sent them a plain and
easy *^ Exposition upon the Church Catechism." This
good ipan did not enjoy his episcopal dignity abave three
years seven months and twenty days ; for he died fit his
lodgings in the cloisters in Westminster-abbey, March
5f 1707-8, in the seventy-first year of his age, and wasi
buried in St. Paul's cathedral. He left the greatest part o|
his estate tp the societies for propagating the gospel, and
promoting Christi?in knowledge. To the curacy of Mountn
Sorrel in particular, and vicarage of Barrow in the county
of Leicester, in o* thankful remembrance pf God'g mercies
Touchsafed to him thereabouts, \\e bequeathed twenty
pounds a year for ever, on condition that prayers be rea<Jl
morning and evening every day, according to, the Liturg)9^
Qf tbe cUiirc]) of Englaixd^ ip th^ chapel, aiid p?irish churoh
198 B E V E R I D G E.
aforesaid ; with the sum of forty shillings yearly, to be di-'
vided equally upon Christmas-eve, among eight poor house-*'
keepers of Barrow, as the minister and churchwardens
should agree, regard being had especially to those who
had been most constantly at prayers, and at the sacrament
of the Lord's Supper, the foregoing year. And if it should
so happen, that the Common-Prayer could not be read in
the church or chapel aforesaid, his will then was, that what
should have been given in either place for that, be in each
place allowed to one chosen by the vicar of Barrow to teach
school, and instruct the youth in the principles of the
Christian religion, according to the doctrine of the church
of England. His works were many, and full of great va-
riety of learning. Those pubUshed by himself were as-
fbllows: 1. ^^ De Linguarum Orientalium, prsesertim He-
braics, Chaldaicse, Syriacae, Arabica^, et Samaritanae, pras-
RtantiH et usu," &c. mentioned above. Lond. 1658, 8vo.
2. ^' Institutionum Chronologicarum libri duo, una cum to-
tidem Arithmetices Chronologicae libellis," Lond. 1669^
4to. 3. ^^ XuvoiiMWy sive Pandectae Canonum SS. Aposto-
lorum, et Conciliorum ab Ecclesi^ Grsec^ receptorum ;
necnon Canonicarum SS. Patrum Epistolarum ; una cum
Scholiis antiquorum singulis eorum annexis, et scriptis
aliis hue spectantibus ; quorum plurima e Bibliothecas JBod-
leians aliarumque MSS. Codicibus nunc primum edita:
reliqua cum iisdem MSS. summ^ fide et diligeutisl coUata,**
Oxonii, 1672, 2 vols. fol. 4. ^^ Codiex Canonum Ecclesiao
PrimitivsB vindicatus et illustratus," Lond. 1679, 4to. 5^
f^ The Church Catechism explained, for the use of the
diocese of St. Asaph," Lond. J 704, 4to, reprinted several
times since. Next follow bishop Beveridge's works, pub-
lished after his decease by his executor Mr. Timothy Gre-».
gory ; 1. ** Private Thoughts upon Religion, digested into
twelve articles, with practical resolutions formed there-
upon.^* Written in his younger years (when he was about
twenty-three years old), for the settling of his principles
and conduct of life, Lond. 1709. 2. ** Private Thoughts
upon a Christian Life ; or, necessary directions for its be-
ginning and progress upon earth, in order to its final per-
fection in the Beatific Vision," part ^I. Lond. 1709. 3.
*' The great necessity and advantage of Public Prayer and
frequent Communion. Designed to revive primitive piety;
with meditations, ejaculations, and prayers, before, at^
a&d after the sacrament/* Lond« 1710.. These have beeo
B E V E R I D G E. l»9
reprinted several times iu 8vo and 12mo. 4. ** One hun*
dred and fifty Sermons and Discourses on several sub-
jects," Lond. L708, &c. in 12 vols. 8vo, reprinted at Lon-
don, 17iy, in 2 vols. fol. 5. "Thesaurus Theologicus ;
or, a complete system of Divinity, sumtijed up in brief
notes upon select places of the Old and New Testament;
wherein the sacred text is reduced under proper heads ;
explained and illustrated with the opinions and authorities
of the ancient fathers, councils, &c." Lond. 1711, 4 vols.
8vo. &. " A defence of the book of Psalms, collected
into English metre by Thomas Sternhold, John Hopkins,
and others ; with critical Observations on the New Version,
compared with the Old," Lond. 1710, Svo. In this book
he gives the old version the preference to the new. 7.
« Exposition of the XXXIX Articles," Lond. 1 7 1 0, 1 7 1 6, fol. .
Bishop Beveridge's character is in general represented
in a most advantageous light. He was a person of the
strictest integrity, of true and sincere piety, of exem-
plary charity, and of great zeal for religion, and so
highly esteemed, that when he was dying, one of the
chief of his order deservedly said of him, " There goes
one of the greatest and of the best men that ever England
bred." He is also celebrated as a man of extensive and
almost universal learning; furnished, to a very eminent
degree, with all useful knowledge; and much to be ad-
mired for his readiness in the scriptures, which he had
thoroughly studied, so that he was able to produce suitable
passages from them on all occasions, and happy in explain-\
ing them to others. Mr. Nelson say$, that he cannot for-
bear acknowledging the favourable dispensation of Provi-
dence to the present age, in blessing it with so many of
those pious discourses, which our truly primitive prelate
delivered from the pulpit; and that he the rather takes
the liberty to call it a favourable dispensation of Provi-
dence, because the bishop gave no orders himself that
they should be printed, but humbly neglected them, as
not being composed for the press. But that this circum>-
stance is so far from abating the worth of the sermons,
or diminishing the character of the author, that it raises
the excellency of both, because it shews at once the
true nature of a popular discourse ; which is to improve
the generality of hearers, and for that purpose to ^peak
to them in ^a plain ^nd intelligible style,
400 B E V E R I D G E.
Dr. Henry Felton says, that our learned and venerable
bishop delivered himself with those ornaments alone/
which his subject suggested to him, and wrote in that
plainness and solemnity of style, that gravity and sim-
plicity, which gave authority to the sacred truths he taught,
and unanswerable evid^ce to the doctrines he defended.
That there is something so great, primitive, and apostoli-
cal, in his writings, that it creates an awe and veneration
in our mind ; that the importance of hi$ subjects is above
the decoration of words; and what is great and majestic in
itself looketh most like itself, the less it is adorned. The
author of one of the Guardians, having made an extract
6ut of one of the bishop's sermons, tells us, that it may
for acuteness of judgment, ornament of speech, and true
sublime, compare with any of the choicest writings of the
ancients, who lived nearest to the apostles' times. But
the author of a pamphlet published in 171 1, entitled ** A
short view of Dr. Beveridge's Writings," passes a very dif-
ferent judgment upon bishop Beveridge's works, in order
to stop, as he says, the mischief they are doing, and that
which the publication of his Articles may do. — With regard
to the bishop's language, he observes, that he delights in
jingle and quibbling; affects a tune and rhyme in all he
says, and rests arguments upon nothing but words and
sounds, &c. &c. — But perhaps this animadverter will by
somie be ranked among the persons, of whom Dr. Lupton
gives the following character : " Those who are censorious
enough to reflect with severity upon the pious strains^
which are to be found in bishop Beveridge, &c. may possibly
be good judges of an ode or essay, but do not seem to
criticise justly upon sermons, or express a just value for
spiritual things.*' After all, whatever faults may be found
in bishop Beveridge's posthumous works, must be charged
to the injudiciousness of his executor. He must himself
have been an extraordinary man who, with all the faults
pointed out by the author of " The short view," could
have conciliated the good opinion and favour of men of all
principles,* and the most eifiinent patrons of the church ;
and the estimation in 'which his works continue to be held
to this day, prove how little he was injured by the captious
quibblings of a writer who was determined to find fsLult
^itb that, into the spirit of which he could not enter., The
Ufe of bishop Beveridge^ piiefixed to the folio edition of
3 E V E R I D G E. 201
hid works, was written bj' Mr. Kimber, a dissenting mini-
ster of the Baptist persuasion, in London. *
BEVERLAND (Adrian), born at Middleburgh in Zea-
land, in 1653 or 1654, was a man of genius, but prosti-
tuted his talents by employing them in the composition
of ioose and impious pieces. iWe took the degree of
doctor of law, and became an advocate ; but his passion
for polite literature diverted him from any pursuits in that
way. He was a passionate admirer of Ovid, Catullus, Pe-
tronius, and appears to have derived from them that cor-
ruption of morals which, more or less, appeared in, the
whole of his life and writings, Mr. Wood tells us, that
Beverland was at the university of Oxford in 1672. In
1678, he published his treatise on original sin. It is en-
titled " Peccatum originate nouT sloxiv, sic nuncupatum
philologice problematicos elucubratum a Themidis alumno.
Vera redit facies, dissimulata perit. Eleutheropoli. Extra
plateam obscuram, privilegio authoris, absque ubi et
quando." At the end of the book are these words : " In
horto Hesperidum typis Adami Evae Terrae filii, 167S.'*
His design in this piece is to shew, that Adam^s Hsin con-
sisted entirely in the commerce with his wife, and that
original sin is nothing else but the inclination of the sexes
to each other. For this he was summoned before the uni-
versity of Leyden, sent to prison, and his name struck out
of the list of students ; but he was discharged after he had
paid a fine, and taken an oath that he would never write
again upon such subjects. He then removed to Utrecht,
where he led a most dissolute life, and boasted every
where of his book, which bad been burnt at Leyden. His
behaviour at length obliged the magistrates to send him
notice privately, that they expected he should imme<liately
leave the city. He wrote a severe satire against th0 ma-
gistrates and ministers of Leyden, under the title of
*' Vox clamantis in deserto," which was dispersed in ma-
nuscript: but finding after this, that it would not be safe
for him to remain in Holland, he went over to England,
where Dr. Isaac Vossius procured him a pension. His^in-
come Was inconsiderable, yet he spent the greatest part of
it in purchasing scarce books, indecent prints, pictures^
medals, and strange shells. He seems afterwards to have
repented of his irregular life : and as an atonement, he is
Y Bio^. Brit. — Gen. Diet, in which is a larger account of His wprks — and
Nichols's Leic. vol. III. where is ao ample accouot of the Qm* Bcveridgiana,
JW3 B E V E R L A N D.
said to have published his treatise " De Fornicatione ca^-
veiida," in 1698. He tells us, in an advertisement pre-
fixed to this book, that it was the result of his repentance ;
and s^aks of his loose pieces in the following terms : " I
condemn tbe warmth of my imprudent youth ; I detest my
loose style and my libertine sentiments. I thank Gody
who has removed from my eyes the veil which blinded my
sight m a miserable manner, and who would not suffer me
aiiy longer to seek out weak arguments to defend this
crime. He has likewise inspired me with such a resolu-
tion, that I have burnt all that I hare written upoti this ,
subject, and sent to tbe rector magnificus of the university
of Leyden, the books * De Prostibulis Veteirum.' I de-
sire all persons whe have procured any manuscript of my
writing either privately, or in any other method, to return
it to me, that I may burn it myself. And if any person
should refuse this, I wish him all the misfortunes which
use to happen to one who violates his trust/' Yet, not-
withstanding these expressions, his sincerity has been sus-
pected ; and it has been alleged, that he wrote this last
piece with no other view than to raise the curiosity of
mankind, to inquire after the former. After Vossius'a
death, he, fell into extreme poverty, and incurred univer-
sal hatred from the many violent satires which he bad Writ-^
ten against different persons. Besides this misfortune, his
reasoQ began to be affected; and in tbe year 1712, he
wandered from one part of England to another, imagining
that two hundred men had confederated together to assas-
sinate him. It is probable that he died soon after ; for we
bear no more of him from that time. In 1746, twelve
Latin letters of Beverland were, published, addressed to
some learned men of his time ; but our authority does not
state where this publication made its appearance. While
in England, he must at one time have been in some repu-
tation, as sir Godfrey Kneller made a fine portrait of him,
dated 1689, which is now in the picture gallery, Oxford.*
BEVERLY (John of), in Latin Beverlacius, arch-
bishop of York in the eighth century, was born of a noble
family among tbe English Saxons, at Harpham, a small
town in Northumberlan'd. He was first a monk, and after-
wards abbot of the monastery of St. Hilda. He yms in-
structed in the learned languages by Theodore, archbishop
4 Geo. Diet— Biog. Univ.-— Diet. Hist*— Moreri.— -Saxii Onoinast. — Gran|{ei^«
BEVERLY, J0$
of Canterbury, and was justly esteemed one of the best
scholars of his time. Alfred of Beverly, who wrote his
hfe, pretends that he studied at Oxford, and took there
the degree of master of arts ; but bishop Godwin assures
us this cannot be true, because such distinction of degrees
was not then known at Oxford, nor any where else. Our
abbot^s merit recommended him to' the favour of Alfred,
king of Northumberland, who, in the year 685, advanced
him to the see of Hagustalci, or Hexham^ and, upon the
death of archbishop Bosa in 687, translated him to that of
York. This prelate was tutor to the famous Bede, and
Uved in the strictest friendship with Acca, and other Anglo-
Saxon doctors, several of whom he put upon writing com-
ments on the scriptures. He likewise founded, in 704, a
college at Beverly for secular priests. After he had go-
verned the see of York thirty-four years, being tired with
the tumults, and confusions of the church, he divested him-
self of the episcopal character, and retired to Beverly;
and four years after died May 7, 721. The day of his
death was appointed a festival by a synod held at London
in 1416. Bede, and other monkish writers, ascribe seve«
ral miracles to hiity Between three and four hundred years
after his death, his body was taken up by Alfric, arch-
bishop of York, and placed in a shrine richly adorned with
silver, gold, and precious stones. Bromton relates, that
William, the conqueror, when he ravaged Northumberland
with a numerous army, spared Beverly Slone, out of a re«r
ligious veneration for St. John of that place. This prelate
wrote some pieces, 1. *^ Pro Luca exponendo;" an essay
towards an exposition of St. Luke, addressed to Bede.
2. '^ Homiliss in Evangelia." 3. Epistolae ad Hildam Ab-
batissam." 4. ^^ Epistolae ad Herebaldum, Andenum, et
Bertin una." r— Pits mentions another John of Beverly, so
galled from the place of his nativity, who was a Carmelite
monk in the fourteenth century, and a very learned man,
and doctor and professor of divinity at Oxford, He flou-
rished about 1390, in the reign of Richard IL and wrote,
1. ^^ Questiones in magistrum sententiarum ;'' in four
books. 2. ^' Disputationes ordinarise ;" in one book. ^
BEVERINI (Bartholomew), a learned Italian of the
seventeenth century, was born at Lucca, May 5, 1629.
in classical learning he made such progress, that^ when
I Biog. Brit.— Bale.— Pits.— Tanner.
S04 B E V E R I N I.
only fifteen, he wrote notes and comments on the princi-*
pal poets of the Augustan age, which drew the notice and
approbation of the learned. In bis sixteenth year, be
went to Rome and entered the congregation of the regular
clerks, called the congregation of the " Mother of God.'*
After completing his theological studies, he taught divinity
for four years, at the end of which he was invited to Lucca
to be professor of rhetoric. From the salary of this place
he was enabled to maintain his aged father and family, and
lYOuld not afterwards accept of any promotion from his con-
gregation, that his studies might not be interrupted by
affairs of business. He corresponded with many illustrious
personages of his time, and among others with Christina,
queen of Sweden, who often requested of him copies of
his sermons and poems. The facility with which he wrote
appears by his translation of the Eneid, which he says, in
the preface, he completed in thirteen months. He died
of a malignant fever, Oct. 24, 1686. He left a great
many works, of which his biographer, Fabroni, has given a
minute catalogue. The principal are : 1. ^^ Sa)culum ni«
veum ; Roma virginea ; et Dies niveus,'* three small
Latin collections on the same subject, " De nivibus Ex-
quilinis, sive de sacris nivibus," Rome, 1650, 1651, and
1652, 4to, each containing two discourses or harangues,
and a Latin and Italian idyl. 2. ^^Rime,'^ Lucca, 1654,
12mo, reprinted at Rome 1666, with additions, and de-
dicated to queen Christina. 3. *^ Discorsi sacri," Lucca,
165S, 12mo, Venice, 1682. 4. " Carminum Lib.VIL'*
ibid. 1674, 12mo. 5. " Eneide di Virgilio, trasportata in
ottavb rima," ibid, 1680, 12mo. This much esteemed
translation has been often reprinted. The last edition is
that of Rome, 1700, 4to. 6. " Prediche, discorsi, ele-
zioni," a posthumous work, Vienna, .1692, 4to. 7. "Syn-
tagma de ponderibus et mensuris,'^ another posthumous
work, Lucca, 171], 8vo, a very learned performance,
often reprinted, and added to all collections on the sub^
ject. Among his unpublished works is a historical account
of Lucca, which it is rather surprizing, should have been
so long left in that state ; it is entitled ^^ Annalium ab
origine Lucensis urbis Lib. XV." Fabroni, who highly
praises these annals, seems at a loss to account for their
not having been published, but informs us that Beverini
had his enemies as well as his admirers. ^
^ Bio|f. UQiverseUe.-f-Fabroni Vit» ItaloraaHj Tol. XIX.— l^uzuc)iellv
6 E Y E R W I C K, ^(ja
B EVER WICK (John de), in Latin Beverovicius, was
Iborn at Dort, Sept. 17, 1594, of a noble family. He
was brought up from bis infancy under the eyes of Gerard
John Vossius, and visited several universities for acquiring
knowledge in the art of medicine, and took his doctor's
degree at Padua. He practised in the place of his na«
tivity, where he likewise filled several civic posts with dis*
tinction. He died Jan. 19, 1647, aged 51 ; and though
his course was not remarkably long, yet Daniel Heinsius^
in the epitaph he made on him, calls him ^* Vitae artifex,.
mortis fugator." His principal works are: 1. " De ter-
mino vitae, fatali an mobili ?" Rotterdam, 1644, 8vo; and
Leyden, 1651, 4to. This book made some noise at the
time, and professes to discuss the question. Whether the
term of life of every individual be fixed and immutable ;
or, whether it may be changed. 2. " De excellentia
sexds Fceminei," Dordrecht, 1639, 8vo. S. " Decalculo,**
Leyden, 1638 — 41, 8vo. 4. " Introductio ad Medicinant
indigenam," Lej^den, 1663, 12mo. This book, says Vig-
neul Marville, is a very small volume, but extremely well
filled. Beverovicius proves in it, to every man's satisfac*
tion, that, without having recourse to remedies from fo-
reign countries, Holland should be contented wirfi her own
in the practice of medicine. His entire works were printed
in Flemish, at Amsterdam, 1656, 4to.^
BEVIN (EtWAY), a musician eminently skilled in the
knowledge of practical composition, flourished towards the
end of queen Elizabeth's reign. He was of Welch extrac-
tion, and had been educated under Tallis, upon whose
recommendation it was that in 1589 he was sworn in gen-
tleman extraordinary of the chapel ; from whence he was
expelled in 1637, it being discovered that he adhered to
the Romish communion. He was also organist of Bristol
cathedral, but forfeited that employment at the same time
with his place in the chapel. Child, afterwards doctor,
was his scholar. He has composed sundry services, and
a .few anthems. Before Bevin's time the precepts for the
composition of canons was known to few. Tallis, Bird,
Waterhouse, and Farmer, were eminently skilled in thia
most abstruse part of musical practice* Every canon^ as
given to the public, was a kind of enigma. Compositiona
« Biog. Unir.— Haller BiM. Med.^Maog«t Bibl, Script. Med.— Mvreri.-^
Foppea BibL Belg. — Saxii Onomast,
*06 B E V I N.
t)f this kind were sometimes exhibited in the form of a
cross^ sometimes in that of a circle ; there is now extant
one resembling a horizontal sun-dial, and the resolution,
{as it was called) of a canon, which was the resolving it
into its elements, and reducing it into scorfe, was deemed
a work of almost as great difficulty as the original compo-
sition. But Bevin, with a view to Ae improvement of
students, generously communicated the result of many
years study and experience in a treatise which is highly
commended by all who have taken occasion to speak of it.
This book was published in 1631, 4to, and dedicated to
Goodman bishop of Gloucester, with the following title t
** A briefe and short instruction of the Art of Musicke, to
teach how to make discant of all proportions that are in
use ; very necessary for all such as are desirous to attain
to knowledge in the art ; and may, by practice, if they
sing, soone be able to compose three, four, and five parts,
and also to compose all sorts of canons that are usual], by
these directions of two or three parts in one upon the plain
song." The rules contained in this book for composition
in general are very brief ;^ but for the composition of ca-
nons there are in it a great variety of examples of almost
all the possible forms in which it is capable of being con-
$(tructed, even to the extent of sixty parts. *
BEUF. SeeLEfeEUF.
BEUGHEM (Cornelius de), whose name often occurs
)n works of Bibliography, but who has not laid bibliogra-
phers under many obligations, was a bookseller at Em-
merich, about the end of the seventeenth century. Hin
design in his compilations was evidently to serve the cause
of literature, but although 'Sill his plans weregood, they were
imperfectly executed, and have proved perplexing and
useless. His principal publications in this department
were: 1. " Bibliographiajuridicaetpolitica,'* Amsterdam,
1680, 12mo. 2. " Bibliothecamedica etphysica," 1691,
12mo, enlarged in 1696. 3. " Gallia critica et experi-
mentalis ab anno 1665 usque ad 1681,*' Amst. 1683, 12mo.
This is a useful index to the articles in the ** Journal des
.Savans." 4. " Bibliographia mathematica et artificio'fei,"
1685, improved and enlarged, 1688, 12mo. 5. "Bibliogra-
phia historica, chronologica, et geographica,'* 1685, 12nio,
and continued in four parts until 1710. 6. " Bibliographia
\ 1 Hawkins's Higt of Music.
B £ U G H E M. iot
erodltoirum critico-curiosay seu apparatus ad historiam
literariam," Amst 1689 — 1701, 5 vols. 12mo, a sort of
general index to all the literary journals, but containing
too many alphabets to be easily consulted. It extends
from 1665 to 170Q. 7. " Incunabula typographiae, sive
Catalogus librorum proximis ab inventione typographise
annis ad annum 1500, editorum," Amst. 1688, 12mo»
jejune, says our English bibliographer, and erroneous. In-
deed each of these undertakings, to be completely useful^
would have required more years than Beughem bestowed
upon the whole. *
BEULANIUS, a divine and historian in the seventh
century; was a Briton by birth, who taught the celebrated
Nennius, afterwards abbot of the monastery of Bangor ;
and applied himself from his earliest youth to th^ study
of learning, which he joined to the greatest purity of
morals. Bale tells us, that he was master of a very exten-
sive knowledge of things, and a great fluency of style,
and was actuated by a warm zeal for the propagation of
truth. He had a son, the subject of the following article ;
which is a proof, as the historian above-mentioned ob-
serves, that the priests in Britain were not at that time
prohibited to marry ; though Pits is of opinion that our
author was not ordained when his son was born. He was
extremely industrious in examining into the antiquities of
nations, and tracing out the families of the English Saxons
after they had entered Britain ; and from these collections
he is said to have written a work *' De Genealogiis Gen-
tium." He flourished in the year 600. Bishop Nicolson
in his " English Historical Library'* calls him Beulani^s,
and confounds him with his son. *
BEULANIUS (Samuel), a learned divine and historian
of the seventh century, was son of the preceding, and
born in Northumberland, but educated almost from his
infancy in the isle of Wight. He was a man of a very hu-
mane and mild disposition, a good historian, and well
skilled in geometry. He gave an acqurate description of
the isle of Wight from his own observations, as well as
from the accounts of Ptolemy and Pliny. Upon his return
to his awu country he studied under Elbode, a bishop
eminent for his uncommon sanctity and learning, by whose
* Biog. Univ. — Moreri. — Baillet Jugemens de Sayans.— Saxii Ononvi8t.— •
Bibdin's Biblromania.
« Tanoer.— L(eland.^Bale.-«>PiU.— Gen. Diet
aO« B E U L A N I US.
instructions he made great progress both in pro&ne ami
sacred literature. At last he applied himself to the study
of the history of his nation, which he examined with the
iitmost accuracy, and wrote in Latin " Annotations upon
Nennius," an *' History of the actions of king Arthur in
Scotland," and an " Historical Itinerary." L^land is of
opinion that he was a monk, sjnce all the learning which
was then extant, was among those of that profession. He
flourished in the year 640, according to Bale ; or 656^ ac-
cording to Pits. He had a very intimate friendship with
the famous Nennius, abbot of Bangor. ^
BEUMLER (Mark), a learned minister of the reformed
church, was born in 1555, at Volketswyl, a. village in the
canton of Zurich, and died of the plague at Zurich, in
1611. He studied at Geneva and Heidelberg, and after
having exercised the ministerial functions in Germany for
some years, returned to Zurich in 1594, where he was ap-
{)ointed professor of theology. He published many theo-
ogical, philological, and philosophical works, which are
now forgot, but some of them were highly esteemed in his
vday, particularly his " Grammar," Zurich, 1593, and his
•* Khetoric," ibid. 1629, which were often reprinted. He
also translated and wrote notes on some of Cicero's, De-
mosthenes, and Plutarch's works, and was the author of
a " Catechism" which was long the only one used at Zu-
rich. He was accounted one of the ablest defenders of
Zuinglius and Calvin. The style of his polemical works
partook of that quaintness which prevailed in controversial
writing for more than a century after his time. The title
of one of his pamphlets will exemplify this, and amuse our
Latin readers : " Falco emissus ad capiendum, depluman-
dum et dilacerandum audaciorem ilium cuculum ubiquita-
rium, qui nuper ex Jac. Andreae, mali corvi, malo ovo,
ab Holderp simplicissima curruca exclusus, et a demoniaco
Bavio Fescenio varii coloris plumis instructus, impetum in
philomelas innocentes facere ceperat," Neustadt, 15S5,
4to. *
BEUTHER (Michael), a learned German writer, was
born at Carlostadt, Oct. IS, 1522, and studied at Marpurg,
and afterwards at Wittemberg, where, being introduced
by Melancthon, to Luther, the latter received him into his
house, and both superintended his studies. In 1542, wheu
\ Tanner.— Leland, — ^Dale.— Pits.— <ilen. Pict. * Bio^. Unirenelle*
B E U T H E R. i69
the contest took place between John Frederic^ the elee«
tor, and prince Maurice, be served under the former, but
the war being orer, he returned to Wittemberg. In 1546
he was appointed professor of history, poetry, and mathe,*^
Biatics at Grieswald; and in 1549 he visited Paris, aiid
some other celebrated academies, studied civil law, and
published his ^< Ephemeris Historica,^^ Paris, 1550. Iii
1552 he had a considerable hand in the treaty of P^ssaw^
by which the exercise of the Protestant religion throitgh«^
out Germany was secured. In 1553 we find him at Padua^*
where, by Melanctbon's advice, he studied tnedicine, and
became acquainted with the celebrated Fallopius ; he' neict
visited Rome, and some of the Italian schools, and at
Ferrara w4bUB created LL.D. About the year 1555 he ap«
pears to have excited some enemies, on accotint of bis re-*
ligiou$ principles; but in 1559, the elector Palatine, Otto
Henry, appointed him his ecclesiastical counsellor and
Ubrartan. On the death, however, of this patron, he re-
moved to Oppenheim, and took his final leave oi publid
affairs. In 1563 he visited the principal cities and acade«
mies of Saxony, for the purpose of itiquiting into their
origin, history, and antiquities, ancl two years after was
appointed historical professor at Strasburgh. He died of
a decline^ Oct. 27, 1587. He was accounted a man of
great learning in divinity, law, and physic, and eminently
skilled in Hebrew^ Greek, Latin, French, Italian, iSpanish|
and English. He published several works, among which
are: 1. ^^ Animadversiones bistoricse et chronographicae.'^
2. <^ Opus fastorum antiqaitatis Roman^,^* Spire, 1600^
4to. 3.^ '' fasti Hebrs^rum, Atheniensium, et Romano-
rum." * 4. " Animadversiohes in Taicili Germaniam.^*
5. << Commentarii in Livium, Sallustiuniy Velleium Pater-
culum, &c."*
BEXON (Gabriel-Leopoli>-Charl£&-Am£'}, a French
miscellaneous - writer, was bom at Remiremont, in the
month of March 1 7^(8, and died at Paris, Feb. 15, 1784«
He was firat canon, and afteri^atds gtatid-ibhanteir of St.
Chapelle, at Paris. From his infancy he bad a 'turn for
the stildy of natural history, and assisted Buflbh in 'the
latter Volumes of his great work on that subject. -He pub-
lished: 1. <^ Systeme de la I'ermeBtatian,'" 1778, 8vo.
i.
> Freheri TheatruiD.«---Bi«s. Univ.-^Moreri.'^Melchior^Adam iaVitii fU*
VOL.V. P
»10 BEX ON.
Z. ^' Catechisme d' Agriculture, ou fiibliotheque des gen^
de la campi^oe/' 1773, 12010.. 3. 'S Oraison funebre
d^Anne Charlotte de Lorraine, abbesse de Reiniremont,''
1773, 4to. 4. ^^ Histoire de Lorraine,^^ 1777, 8 vo, a work
to which he is said to have been indebted for bis eeclesias*
tical promotions. One yolume only appeared, giving an
|ix;count of the earliest state of Lorraine, its antiquities^
&c. with its literary history, and the lives of the eminent
men that add a lustre to its annals. He wrote also, ^^ Ob*
•ervation particuliere sur le Myriade,'' and *^ Materiaux
pour rhistoire naturelle des Salines de Lorraine," both,
wbigh were printed in Neufchateau's ^* Conservateur,'*
▼ol. U. In the same collection, are twenty *five letters
from Buffbn to the abb6 Bexon. . It remains to be noticed,
that as he called hin^self in his first publioatioa Scipia
Bexon, by way of concealment, some biographers have
supposed that to be his real name. * .
. BEYER, or BEIER (Augustus), a German Protestant
minister, was bom May 21, 1707, and died in 1741. He
is principally, known by the following bibliographical pub-
lications : 1. ^^ Epistola de Bibliothecis Dresdensibus, tunoi
pablicis turn, privatis,'^ Dresden, 1731, 4to. 2. ^\ Ber-
nardi Monetae (La Monnoye) epistola hactenqs ineditse ad
Michaelem Maittarium,^^ Dresden and Leipsic, 1732,^ 8vo»
This he discovered in the Schoemberg museum. . 3. ^^ Me*
inori» historico-criticsB librorum rariorum.," ibid. 1734, 8vo.
4. *' Arcaaa sacra bibliothecarum Dresdensium^^' Dresden^
1738, 8vo, to which he published two appendices in 173S
and 1740, 8vo. *
. BEYER (GEoaGE), another bibliographer, alid a law
yer, was born at Leipsic in 166^, and died in 17 14. He
was the first, accprding to Camus, who gave a course of
lectures on legal bibliography, at Wittemberg, in 1693.
This produced, 1. ^^ IS otitis auotorum jundicorum et juris
arti inservientium, tria specimina,^' Leipsic, .1.698t— 1 705^
i8vo. Of this a new and enlarged edition wai^. published in
1726, 8vo,. and Jeaichen added a continuation in 1738«
Four other improved editioni^, one by HommeU^s, in 1749,
4wp in )7jfQ, and a fourth by Frank, in 1758,, aU m 8¥o^
shew;the yahie in. which, this work was held. .2. f' De-
elinatio juris divipi natural^ et pqsitiyi universalis,^: Wit*
temberg, 1712, 4to; Leipsic, 1716, 1726, 4to.*
» Biog. Universelle. — Biog. Diet.-— "Month. Rev. Yol. LVI.
s Biog. UmveneUe. — Saxii OnouiMticoB* *
IbidL
BEYERtlNCK. 2tl
' BEYERLINCK (LAiiREif oe), a voluminous author^ was
born April 1576^ at Antwerp, of a family originally ef^
B6rgen*op^Zooin, and bad his education > among the Je-
suits; He went afterwards to study philosophy at Lottvain^
and bad scarcely assumed the ecclesiastic dress in order to
pursue^ his divinity course in that university, when he was:
appointed professor of poetry and rhetoric in the .college
of Vaulx^ He had, some time after^ a liviiiig near Lou--
vain, and taught philosophy in a house of regular canons*
in the same neighbourhood. In 1605 be was called to
Antwerp, where he had the charge of the school, and. some,
promotion in the churchi He died there June?, 1627*
Foppen has given a long list of his works, the principal oti
wluch seem to be : 1« ^^ Apophthegnxata Christianorum,'*
Antwerp, 1608^ 8vo. 2. ^^ Biblia sacra variarum trans-*
lationum," Antwetp^ 1616, 3 vols. fol. 3. ^' Promptua-
arium morale super evaogelia communia, et particularia
quasdam festorum totius anni,^- 1613, 8vo, and often re-
printed. 4. •^ Magnum Theatrum vit» humanse." Be-,
ferring our rellders to Freytag for a more minute account
of this vast compilation, it may be suIEcient to add, that
Conrad Lycosthenes left the materials for it, and Theodore
Swinger or Zwinger having put them in order with some
additions with which bis course of ifeading had furnished
him, published three editions of them ; the first in 1 voL
fol. 1565, the second in 3 vols. fol. 1571^ and .the third ia
4 vols. fol. all at Basil, 1586. James Swinger went on
improving and adding to this work, which was at^ast takenr
lip by Beyerlinck, whose edition appeared after hts deaths
Cologne, 163 1, enlarged to 8 vols, fj^lio; and it was re-
printed in the same form at Lyons, 1678, and at Venice,
1707. It is a mass, of theology, history, politics, phUo-»
sophy, &c. in alphabetical order, containing all the know-
ledge of the times upon the various, subjects, and we may
add, all the ignorance and superstitions. V
BEYMA (Juuus), an eminent lawyer. Was born at
Dockum in Holland, in .1546, or according to Foppen,
in 1539. . After having studied law, and taken a licentiate's
degree at Orleans, be practised at Leuwarden, in Fr^es-
land, until^ being suspected of Lutberanism, he Was ^bilged
to retire into Germany, where he taught law at Wittem-
berg, for ten years. The times becoming more £AVour-«
. ^ Biog, taiv.-*Fappen BM. Belff^^Fraytat Adpai»tu» JUtkr.— 14oitri ia
BeierliBck.. .> v
P 2
tit BEY MA.
able, he returned, to his own country, jAqd obtained ibe
law chair in the university of Leyden. After having'
taught here with great success for fifteen years^ he was^
in 1596, invited to Franeker, in the same office, but after
a year, he quitted the business of public instruction, beings
appointed a counsellor at the court of Friesland. He died
in 1598, leaving a daughter, and two sons, who were both
educated in their father's profession. He wrote several
dissertations on subjects of law, which were published in
i vol. 4to, at Louvain, 1645. In 1598, the year of his death,
a collection of theses maintained by Beyma and his friend
Schotanus, appeared under the title ^^Disputationes juridical,
ttociata cum coUega H. Schotano opera, editae,'' Franeker. '
BEYS (Charles), a French poet, was born at Paris in
1610, and at the age of fourteen had written a number of
poetical pieces, both in French and LAtin, which were
extravagantly praised by Scarron and CoUetet, but are
BOW in request only by the collectors - of curiosities. He
applied himself very litde to study, passing {the principal
part of his time in the pleasures of convivial society, which^
however, did not hinder him from meddling with publio
affairs, for which he was thrown into the Bastille, as the
author of the ^^ Mitiade,'* a satire against cardinal Riche«
lieu. Having proved his- innocence, he was set at liberty,
and resumed his loose life, which impaired his health, and
deprived him of sight, in which condition he died. Sept. 26,
1659. He wrote some dramas, and his poetical works
were printed at Paris, 1631, 8vo.'
BEYS (GiL£S), a celebrated printer of the sixteenth
century, who was the first after those who printed the
works of Ramus, that made a distinction in his printing
between the consonants j and v, and the vowels i and u.
Ramus was the inventor of this distipction, and employed
it in his Latin grammar of 1557, but we do not find it
in any of his works printed after that time. Beys adopted
it first in Claude Mignaut^s Latin commentary on Horace.
He died at Paris April 19, 1593. He married a daughter
of the celebrated Plantin of Antwerp, by whom he had a
•on, who was probably the poet above-mentioned, as the
following burlesque epitaph was written on him :
'* G git Beyi, qui savoit ^ merveille
Faire des ver|« et yuider la bouteiUe.*'*
t Bi«f« Uaiv«iseU«.--*FKli«riTlMfttnnL--»Aliiia <t lUuikiw And. Leitei^^
p. S7« s MorBri«<*Bios* Uairenelle. * Ibid.
B E Z A. Hi
I
/
BEZA (Theodore), one of the chief promoters of ili#
Reformation, was born at Vezelai, a small town of Niver*
Dais, in France, . June £4^ 1519. His father was Peter
Beza, or de Beze, bailiff of the town, and bis mother
Mary de Bourdelot. He passed his first years at Paris,
with his uncle Nicholas, a counsellor of parliament, who
sent him to Orleans, / at the age of six, for education.
His master, Melchior Wolmar, a man of greater learning,
and particularly eminent as a Greek scholar, and one of
the first who introduced the principles of the reformation
into France, having an invitation to become professor at
Bourges, Beza accompanied him, and remained with him
until 153i», Although at this period only sixteen, he had
made very uncommon progress in learning and in the an-*
cient languages, and having returned to Orleans to study
law, he took his licentiate's degree in 1539. These four
last years, however, he applied less to serious studies than
to polite literature, and especially Latin poetry ; and it
was in this interval that he wrote those pieces which were
Afterwards published under the title of ^^ Poemata Juve-
nilia," and afforded the enemies of the reformation a bet*
ter handle than could have been wished to reproach hia
early morals.
On. his return to Paris he was presented to the priory of
Longjumeau, and another benefice; and one of his uncles^
who possessed a rich abbey, had an intention to resign in
his favour. Beza thus enjoying an ample revenue, with
the prospect of an easy increase, joined too freely in the
amusements and dissipations of youth, notwithstanding
the remonstrances of his parents and friends : and although
in the actual possession of benefices, had not yet taken
orders, nor for some years did he associate with persons
of the reformed religion, although he could hot forget the
progress that it had made in his mind when under the
tuition of Wolmar. Here he contracted an attachment to
a young woman, who, some say, ^as of a noble family^
others, of inferior birth, to whom he secretly promised
marriage, but was prevented from accomplishing this,
through fear of losing his promotions. At length, how-
ever, in 1548, when recovering from a severe illness, he
resigned his priory, and went to Geneva, and married fhe
lady to whom he bad now been engaged about four years*
At the same time he abjured popery^ and after a ibort stay
S14 B E Z A.
at Geneva, -went to TabicigeD, to his old master^ Wolmafj^
for whom he always had the sincerest esteem. ,
The following year he was appointed Greek professor at
Lausanne, where he remained for ten years, and published
several works which extended his reputation. His Fi-ench
tragedy of *^ Abraham's SacriEce,'' was translated into
Latin, and Uiecame very popular. In 1556, he published
}iis translation of the New Testament, of which a number
of editions afterwards appeared, with alterations and cor-
rections ; . but, of all his works, while he was at Lausanne^
that which was accounted the most remarkable, was his
apology for, or defence of the burning of Servetus for he*
resy, in answer to a work apparently on the other side of
the question by Sebastiait Castalio, who took the liberty to
doubt whether it was just or useful to put heretics to death/
Be:;a's answer was entitled S^ De hssretici^ a civili magts-
tratu puniendis,'' and as at that time th^principles of the
reformation were legal heresies, we cannot be surprised
that the enemies of the reformation should wish to turn
Beza's arguments against him.
In 1558, Beza endeavoured to induce some of the Ger*'
man princes to intercede with the king. of France for to*
leration of the Protestants, who were then very cruelly*
perseciited in th^t kingdom. Next year he left Lausanne
to settle at Geneva, where he was admitted a citizen, at
the request of Calvin. In Geneva dX this time, much
pains were taken to promote learning, and diffuse a taste
for the sciences, and an academy being about to be formed,
Calvin refused the title of . rector, offei:ed to himself, and
recommended it to be given . to Beza, who was also to
teach divinity. About Hie sam^ time, the persons of rank
in Fi:ance who had embraced the reformed religion, per-
ceiving that they would need > the support of a crowned
head, cast their eyes on Beza, as the proper person to con-
vert the king of Navarre, and confer with him on other
matters of consequence respecting the reformation. In
this Beza had complete success,, and the reformed religion
Vjras publicly preached at Nerac, the residence of the
king and queen of Navarre. A church wa^s built, and in the
course of the following year, 1560, such was the zeal of
t:he queen of Navarre, that she ordered all the cbur^hes^
f^nd monasteries of Nerac to be destroyed-
B E Z A. «l5
Beza remained at Nerac until the beginning of 1561,
when the king signified bis pleasure that be should attend
at the conference of Poissi, to which the senate readily
consented. At this conference, appointed for reconciling
the disputes between the Popish and Protestant divines,
the princes, cardinals, and many of the nobility attended,
and the king presided. It was opened Sept. 9, 156 J, by
the ct^ncellor DeP Hospital, who declared tlllit the king's
intention in assembling them was to discover, from their
sentiments, a remedy for the disorders which religious dis*
putes had occasioned in his kingdom; that they should
therefore endeavour to correct such things as required itj
and not separate until they had put an end to all differ*
ences by a sincere reconciliation. In his speech he also
honoured this conference with the name of the National
Council, and compared it to the provincial synods of Or-
leans, Aries, and Aix, which the emperor Charlemagne
had caused to bejield. The conference lasted two nionths,
and many points were eagerly . debated. The Protestai>t
clergy, and particularly Beza, spoke with great freedom.
Beza, to much learning, added a^Mulity of expression which
gave him much advantage; he had abo from his earliest
years a ready wit, which in those years he had employed
on subjects perhaps not unsuitable to4t, and could ndt
afterwards restrain in controversy on more serious points,
nor could he repress the zeal and fervour of his mind when
he bad to contend for the reformed religion. In this
conference some strong expressions he used respecting'
the eucharist, and against transubstantiation, occasioned
an unusual clamour, and a cry of blasphemy ! from the
adherents to that opinion. It is, perhaps, unnecessary to
add, that the purposes of all these debates were not ac«
eomplisbed.
Beza did not return to Geneva when the conference
ended*: being a Frenchman^ queen Catherine de^Medicis
would have him stay in his own country, .where he preached
frequently before the king of Navarre, and the prince of
Conde, in Paris. The king of Navarre, though of the re-
ligion of the Protestants, declared himself against them,
in iorder to preserve the title of viceroy ; but the prince of
Ccuide^ the illustrious family of Coligny, and others^ more
zes^ous for the reformation, began to excite the Pro-
testants . to arm in their defence. Opposed to this party^'
was a league formed by the pope, the emperor, the kiug^
416 H E Z A.
of Spain, and th^ catholic Swiss cantons. This s09h
li>rought on the civil war, in the course of which Beza at^
tended the prince of Conde, apd was at the battle of Dreux^^
in 1562, in which the generals of both armies were taken
prisoners ; and during the imprisonment of the prince of
Conde, Beza remained with admiral Coligny, and did not
return to Geneva, until after the peace of 1563, when he
resun^ed his place in the academy or college which Calvin
had founded. That celebrated reformer died in the follow*
ing year, and Beza succeeded him in all bis offices, and
was now considered as the ostensible head and main sup--
port of the reformed party both in France and G^eneva. In
1570 he returned again to France to be present at the synod
of Rocbelle'l The queen of Navarre and the admiral
Coligny had requested the council of Geneva to permit
bim to take this journey, and when he arrived at Rochelle
be was unanimously chosen president of the synod, which
V^s a kind of general assembly of deputies from all the re-
formed churches in France. He was afterwards frequently
interrupted in his academical business at Geneva, particu-^
larly in 1574, when sent on ail important negociation ta
Germany^ and he frequently assisted at conferences on re*
ligious points both in Germany and Swisserland.
In 1583 bis wife died, and although now seventy years
old, he married, a few months after, a young woman whom
be called his Sbunamite. His health and spirits were won**
derfuUy preserved for many years after this, nor did he
discontinue his lectures until 1600. He lived five years
after this, considerably weakened, by age and infirmities^
retaining the memory of things long pas^ but almost totally
deprived of that faculty in continuing a conversation. At
intervals, however, he evinced his steady adherence to the
religion to which he said he had been early called, lamented
the years he had passed in folly and dissipation, and gave
many suitable and affecting exhortations to his friends^
He died Oct. 13, 1605, in the eighty-seventh year of his
age-
Theodore Beza*s character has been variously -repre^
tented, as might be expected from the age in which he
lived, and the conduct which he pursued. His talents, his
eminence, his important services in the cause of the re-
formation, must make his memory as dear to Protestants, as
it was obnoxious to their enemies. In what follows, how^
m^er, of hb^ chafact^, v^e ^all chiefly follow an audiority
•B E Z A. tlT
that wkU not be fiospected of religious partiality at least
Beza*s reputation has been often attacked, and it is scarcely
possible that it could have been otherwise. He had but
just embraced the reformed religion, when he took a part
in every dispute and every controversy. He wrote inces-
santly against the Roman catholics, against the Lutherans,
and against all who were unfriendly to the character or
opinions of his friend Calvin, and although such a disputant
would be in any age exposed to frequent attacks, in his
time religious controversies were carried on with peculiar
harshness and strong resentments. Beza's first writings,
his poems, gave occasion for just reproach, and although he
had long repented, and confessed his error in this respect,
bis enemies took the most effectual method to harass his
mind, and injure his character, by frequently reprinting
these poems. This measure, however, so unfair, and dis-
creditable to bis opponents, might have lost its effect, if
he jiad not in some of his controversial pieces, employed
his wit with too much freedom and extravagance. We
cannot wonder, therefore, that such raillery should produce
a corresponding sense of irritation in those who hated his
principles, and felt the weight of his talents. It would be
unnecessary to repeat all the calumnies, some of the most
gross kind, which have been gravely advanced against him,
because they now seem to be given up by the general con-
sent of all modern writers ; but we may advert to one accu-
sation still maintained by men of considerable note. Pol-
trot, who assassinated. the duke of Guise, that merciless
persecutor of the proteftantis, declared in his first examina-
tion that he was set on by Beza, and although this appeared
at the time wholly groundless, and Poltrot retracted what
he had said, and persisted to his last moments, to excul-
pate our reformer, yet Bossuet, while he does not accuse
Beza of having directly encouraged the assassin, still en<*
deavours to impute his crime to Beza's preaching, and de-«
4uce8 Beza's amsentj from the joy he and his party ex-
pressed on hearing of the death of their iknplacable enemy,
a consequence which it is surely unfair to draw from such
premises. He has also been accused of having, on many
occasions, excited the French protestants to take lip arms,
and to have thus had a considerable hand in the civil wars
of France. But, although the oppressions suffered by the
French protestants, then a very numerous body, had un-
qnestionably excited his zeal in promoting resistance, the
«1* B E Z A.
history of the times shew that these civil wars were not oc-^
casioned by this course only, far less by any desire 0ie
reformed bad to propagate their principles by force. The
ablest writers are agreed that in those days there was more
of discontent than protestantism in the case; ** plus de mal-
contentement que de Huguenoterie.'* It wocrld be unjust;
therefore, to consider Beza, and the other preachers of the
reformation, as the sole cause of these commotiotYs. It is
much more probable that they were occasioned in a great
measure by the rival contests of the Guises and the priitces
of the Mood. Without^ therefore, exculpating Beza from
itaving that share in the civil wars which did not very well
become a preacher of the gospel of peace, it may be safely
Affirmed that be was not one of the chief causes. The
some assassin Poltrot, who accused Beza, accused also the
admiral Coligny, whose character never was stained with a
blemish, unless in the bigoted mind of Bossuet, who yet
cannot bring a single circumstance in proof; and as far as
regards Beza, we may add that the accusation never ob-
tained any belief among his contemporaries.
Beaa^s zeal was much tempered in his latter days ; and
when, during an in^terview with Henry IV. in 1599, in a
village of Savoy near Geneva, that prince asked him what
be could do for him, Beza expressed no wish but to see
peace restored in France. His last will bears tbe same
sentiments, with much expression of regret for his early
errors. — Beza was an elegant writer, and a man of great
learning. His* long life, and the enthusiasm with which he
inspired his followers, made him Be called the Phenix of
bis age. As a divine, controversialist, and on many occa-
aions, as a negociator, he displayed great abilities, and a
faithful adherence to his principles. His numerous writ-
ings are now perhaps but little consulted, and bis transla-
tion of the Psalms into French verse, which was begun by
Marot, are no longer in use in the reformed churches ; but
as a promoter of literature, he still deserves high praise,
on account of the great diligence and success with which
be superintended tbe college of Geneva for forty years of
bis life. When on one occasion the misfortunes of tbe
times rendered it necessary to dismiss two of the professors^-
for whose maintenance there were no longer any fundsy
Beza, * then at the age of seventy, supplied both their
places, and gave le(;tures for more than two years. He was
in fact the founder of that college which for the last two»
B E Z A. 2\^
centuries has produced so many eminent men ; he pre-
scribed its statutes, and left his successors an example which
may bcssaid to have de^scended to our own times* Bayle^s
account of Beza, in his usual rambling style, is principally
taken from the Latin life published in 1606 by Antonius
Fayus, or La Faye. Noel Taillepied, Bolsec, and a doc-
tor of the Sorbonne, named Laing6, or Laingeus, have
also written lives of this reformer. Other authorities will
be subjoined in the note.
Some notice yet remains to be taken of Beza^s principal
works, and their different editions : 1. *^Poemata juvenilia,**
Paris, by Conrad Badius, 1548, 8vo, but we question whe-
ther this was the first edition. It is thought that a 12mo
edition, without a date, '^ Ad insigne capitis mortui,'* was
long prior to this, and we suspect the only edition which'
Beza printed. Those of 1569, 1576, and 1594, the two
former in 8vo, and the latter in 4to, contain only a part of
these poems, the offensive ones being omitted. In 1599,
an edition was printed at Geneva, 16 mo, with his trans-
lation of the Song of Solomon, They were also reprinted
with the poems of Muret and Jean Second, Paris, by Bar-
.bou, 1757, 12mo, and under the title of ^^ Amcenitatefs
Poeticae/' &c. 1779, 12mo. 2. " Tragedie Frangaise da
Sacrifice d' Abraham,*' Lausanne, 1550, 8vo, Paris, 1553,
and Middleburgh, 1701, 8vo, and often since; yet it gives
ho very favourable ides^of Beza^s talent for French poetry.
3. <^ Confessio Christianas (idei, cum Papisticis haeresi-
bus, ex' typ. r. Bonae $dei,'* 1560, 8vo. 4. "Dehaereti-
cis a civiii magistratu puniendis ; sub Oliva Rob. Stephani,*'
1554. This is the original edition, but Colladon*s French
translation; Geneva, 1560, 8vo, is, for whatever reason, in
more request. 5. *^ Comedie du Pape malade, par Thrasibule
Phenice," Geneva, 1561, 8yo, 1584, 16mo, 6. "Traduc-
tion en vers Fran^ais des Pseaumes omi^ par Marot,**
Lyons, 1563, 4t6, often reprinted with those of Marot, for
the US0 pf the Protestant churches. .7. ^' Histoire de la
Mappemonde papistique, par Fragidelphe Escorche-
Messes,*' Luce-N'ouvelle (Geneva), 1567, 4to. 8. " Le
Reveilmatin des Francois et de leurs voisin, par Eusebe
Philadelphe,*' Edinburgh, 1574, 8vo. 9. <* De Jjeste
qui^stiones duaB explicataB ; una, sitne contagiosa? altera,
an- et quatenus sit , Christian is per secessionem vitanda?'*^
Geneva, 1570, 8vo; Leyden, 1636, 12mo. This is one
of the scarcest of Beza^s works. 10. " Histoire ecclesias*
«o B E Z Ai.
tique des Eglises reform^es an royaume de France, deptii^
Tan 1521 jusqu'eiK 1563," Antwerp (Geneva), 1580, S vols.
5vo. 11." Icones Virolrum lUustrium," 1580, 4to, trans*
lafted into French, by Simon Goulet, under the title of
** Vrais Pourtraits, &c." Geneva, 1581, 4to. 12. "Trac-
tatio de llepudiis et Divortiis ; accedit trdctatm de Poly-
gamia,'' Geneva, 1590, 8vo. 13. '^ Epistola magistri Pas*
savantii ad Petrum Lysetuxn,^' a satire on the latter. 14.
His translation of the New Testament, with the original
texts and notes, often reprinted. The best edition is that
of Cambridge, 1642, fol. a work still in much estimation.
He had also a share in the Geneva translation of the Bible,
1588, fol. Several of his controversial and practical tractii
were translated into English, and printed here in the time
of queen Elizabeth, of which the titles may be found in
Ames. Among the Greek MSS» of the university of Cam*
bridge, is one of the Four Gospels and Acts of the Apostles,
presented by Beza, whi«h is ^supposed to be of the third or
fourthcenturyatleast, if not more ancient. In 17 87, the uni-
versity appointed the rev. Dr. Kipling, deptfiy regius pro-
fessor of divinity, to superintend the publication of a fac
$imile of this valuable manuscript, which accordingly, ap-
peared in 1793, 2 vols. foL a splendid and accurate work.
The Latin epistle which Beza sent with this manuscript,
and which is prefixed to it in his own hand-writing, may
be seen in the note *. ^
* " Indytae modisque omnibus ce- toto nulll ineliiif» quam tds ipei> qnij^
lebratissimae ^cademiae Cantabrigiensi sit huic exemplar! fides faabenda, fesu«
Oratiam et Pacem a Deo Patre ae inarent, hac de re tamen ▼os admo^
Domino nostro Jesu Cbrifcto. nendos duxi, taiktam a me in Lucat
" Quatuor Evan^eliorurnet Actorum praesertim Eyangelio repertara esse
ilpostolicorum Graeco-Latinum exenk- inter hunc codicem'et csBteros qnan*
plar ex S. Irenai coenobio Lugdiinensi tunsTis discrepanttam» nt ritaiidsB quo*
ante aliquot annos nactus,^ mutilum rundam offensioni asseiVandum potiu*
qnidem iltad, et neque satis emendate quam publicandum existimem. In bao
ab initio ubiqne descriptum, neque ita tamen non sententiarukn sed TOCttm
ut oportuit habitum, sicut ex pa^nis diversitate nihil profecto eomperi nnde
quibusdam diverso charactere insertis, sbspicari potuerim, a reteribus illis
et indocti cujuspiam Gr»ci Calogeri haeretieis fuisse depravatum. tmo
barbaris adscriptis alicubi notis appa- muitamihiTideordeprehendissemapi%
ret, Testrae potissimum Academie, ut obsenratione digna. Qnaodam etiam
inter vere Christianas vetustissimB, sie a recepta Scriptara' discrepantia»
plvrimisque hominibus celeberrimae, ut tamen cum veterum qnorundam et
dicandum existimavi, reverendi Domini Graecorum et Latinornm Patrum Scrip*
et Patres, in ci^us sacrario tantum tis consent! ant; non pauca denique«
hoc Teneranda»» nisi forte fallor, vetus- quibns vetusta Latfna editio oorrobo-
tatis mooimentom collooetur. Etsi ratur : quae omnia pro ingenii mei
1 Lives mentioned in the text — Biog. UniyerseQe, an. article of great candont
and accuracy. — Gen. Dicu-^Morerl— Two letters on his poeiiii» Gent Maf» *
▼ol. LXVII.-— Saxii Ongmatticon,
B E Z O U T.
ait
BEZOUT -(Stephen), a celebrated French mathema^
tician, member of the academies of sciences and the ma-^
rine, and examiner of the gnards of the marine and of tha
scholars of artillery, was born at Nemours the 3 1st of March
1730, In the course of his studies he met with some books
of geometry, which gave him a taste for that science ; and
the Eloges of Fontenelle, which shewed him the honours
attendant on talents and the love of the sciences. His
&ther in vain opposed the strong attachment of young Be^
zout to the mathematical sciences. April 8, 1758, he wa#
named adjoint-mechanician in the French academy of sci«
ences, having before that sent them two ingenious me*
moirs on the integral calculus, and given other proofs of
his proficiency in the sciences. In 1763, he was named
to the new ofBce of examiner to the marine, and appointed
to compose a course of mathematics for their use ; and in
1768, on the death of M. Camus, he succeeded as exa*
miner of the artillery scholars.
Bezout fixed his attention more particularly to the reso*
lotion of algebraic equations; and he first found out the
solution of a particular class of equations of all degrees.
This method, different from all former ones, was general
for the cubic and biquadratic equations, and just became
particular only at those of the iith degree. Upon this work
of finding the roots of equations, our author laboured from
1762 tiU 1779, when he published it. He composed two
courses of mathematics ; the one for the marine, the other
for the artillery. The foundation of these tw0 works was
the same ; the applications only being different, according
to the two different objects: these courses have every
where been held in great estimation. In his office of ex^
aminer be discharged the duties with great attention, tare,
and tenderness; a trait of his justice and zeal is remarkable
in the following instance : During an examination which
be held at Toulon, he was told that two of the pupils could
modulo inter se comparata, et cam
8yra et Arabica editione collata, in
majores meas aotiotationes a me nu-
per emendatasy et brevi, Deo fayente,
prodituras congessi. Sed a{^e, res bsc
tota TeStri, fltcuti par est, judicli esto.
Taatom a Tobis peto, reverend! Ik>-
mini et Patref» ut hoc qualecunque
•ttmDUB in vestram amplitudinem ob-
•ervantifle mea veluti monimentum,
ab bpttine Teslri ftudlotissimo profsc-
tum, sequi bonique consulatts. D*
Jesus Servator noster, et universe
vobia omniboB, et privatim singulisy
totique adeo Chrittianissimn Anglo-
rum genti, mag is ac magis pro boni-
tate singula sua benedicat.
<* Oeneva viii. Idus Dec'ris anna
Domini cio,i3yLXxxi.
** Vestre totius inclytae Academic
dignitati addictissimus
•« Theodorvs iSgZA.''
«M B E Z O U T.
not be present^ being confined by the small-pox : he hhn*
self had never had that disease^ and he was greatly afraid
of it ; but as he knew that if he did not see these two yoong-
meny it would much impede their improvement, he ven-
tured therefore to their bed-sides, to examine them^ and
was happy to find them so deserving of the bayard he put
hioi^lf into for their benefit.
Mr. Bezout lived thus several years beloved of bis family
and friends, and respected by aU> enjoying the fruits and
the credit of his labours. . But the trouble and fatigues of
his offices, with some personal chagrins, had reduced hi»
strength and constitution ; he was attacked by a malignant
fever, of which he died Sept. 27, 1783, in the 54th year
of his age, regretted by his family, his friends, the young
students, and by all bis acquaintance in general. The
books published by him were, 1. '^ Course of Mathematics
for the use of the Marine, with a treatise on Navigation,"
Paris, 1764, 6 vols. 8vo, repauted 1781 — 2. 2. " Courise
of Mathematics for the Corps of Artillery," 1770 — 1772,
4 vols. 8vo. 3. " General Theory of Algebraic Equations,"
1779, 4to. His papers printed.in the volumes of the Me-
moirs of the academy of sciences are, 1. On Curves whose
rectification depends on a given quantity, in the voL for
1758. 2, On several classes of Equations that admit
of an algebraic solution, 1 762. 3. First vol. of a coune of
Mathematics, 1764. 4. On certain Equations, &c. 1764.
$. General resolution of all Equations, 1765. 6.. Second
Tol. of a course of Mathematics, 176S. 7. Thfrd voL of
the same, 1766. 8. Fourth vol. of the same, 1767. 9^
Integration of Differentials, &c, vol. 3, Sav. Etr. 10. Ex-*
periments on Cold, 1777. *
BIACCA (Francis Maria), an Italian scholar of the last
century, was born at Parma, March 12, 1673. Aftevtak*
ing ecclesiastical orders, he was engaged in 1702 by the
illustrious house of Sanvitali, botli as domestic chaplain
and tutor to the two young sons of that family, and at his
leisure hours cultivated the study of history, chronology^
and antiquities. One of his .works was jvritten while in
this family, a very elaborate treatise, *' Trattinemento
Istorico e Chronologico,^* &c. Naples, 2 vols. 4to, in which
he endeavours to prove that Josephus*s history is neither
false nor contrary to scripture, positions which had been
1 Hatton*8 M«tb. Diet.— Eloge by Condorcet— Biog. UnirenelTv
B I AC C A. S2S
denied in a treatise written on the subject by father Csesar
Calino, a Jesuit When he had compieted this i^ork, the
elder of his pupils, who by the death of his father had suc-
ceeded to the estate, and was very much attached to the
Jesuits, informed Biacca that the publication of it would
not be agreeable to him. On diis Biacca entrusted his
manuscript to the celebrated Argelati, at Milan, and either
with, or without his consent, it was printed at Naples in
1728^ This provoked Sanvitali U) forget his own and hi$
father's attachment to Biacca, who had resided twenty-siK
years in the family, and he ordered him to leave. his house*
Biacca, however, was received with respect into manyotho:
families, who each pressed him to take up Us abode with
them. After having lived at Milan for some years, he
died ait Parma, i^ept. 15, 1735. Being a member of the
Arcadians, he, according to their custonr, assumed the
' name of Parmindo Ibicfaense, which we find > prefixed to
several of his works* Besides his defence of Josepbns, he
wrote^ 1.^ Ortographia Maniiale, o sia arte facile di cor*
rettamento Serivere e Parlare,^' Parma, 1714, 12mo«- 2«
^' Notizie storiche di Rinuccio cardinal PalU^ricino, di Pom*
peo Saeco Parmigiano, di Coraelio Magni^ e del cbnte
NkooloCicognari Parmigiano,^' printed in vols. L andlL of
the ^^ Notizie istoriche d^li Accadi morti,'? Rome, 1720^
^^vo.; 3. ^^ jLe Selve de ^tazio, tradotte in. verso, sciolto.^*
fie translated also CJatullos, and bodh ndake part of the cot«
lection of Italian translations of theancient Latin authors,
printed at Milan. .In the poetical collections^ there aure
many small pieces by .Biaeca. '
BIANCHI.(Anthon¥), a native of Venice, deserves
some notice in .a work of this description, on account of
his poems, /which nvece the production of nature, without
any aid from instructidn> or cultivation. He lived about
the middle oi the last century, and was a gondolier or
waterman's boy -when-he wrote, 1. <^ II Davide, re d'Israele,
poema-eroico-^sagro, di Antonio Bianchi, .servitor di gondola
Veneziano, canto XII."' Venice, 1751, fol. and reprinted
the same .year with. an oratorio entitled ^^ Elia sur Car«-
melo," ibid. dvo« ' In this, althougli we do not find a strict
attention to the laws of the epic, nor the most perfect
purity of language) yet there are ^many truly poetical^
1 Biog. Univ.«-*Dict Hist.«-Saxii Onomast, wbtre fome 9thcn of hit works
flnmcBtioDC^ . ^
f 24- B 1 A N C H I.
nervous^ and hi^ly animated passages. The same may
be said of his, 2. ^< II Tempio ovvero il Salomone, canti
X.'' Venice, 1753, 4to, with historical and theoiogical
notes, which are believed to be from the same pen^ In
his first poem^ he promised two others, one a heroi^co-
mic, under the title of <^ Cuccagna distrutta,^' the oth^
*VLa Fbrmica contro il I^eane,^' but it does not appear
that either was published. He gave, hcnrever, a specie
men of his critical talents, in a volume ^ititled '^ Osservav
sioni contro-critiche di Antonio Bianchi, sopra un trattato
della commedia Italiaua, &c. Venice, 1752, 8to. Joseph
Antony Costantini, the author of this treatise on ItaUan
comedy, wrote an answer, and asserted that the ** Obser*
vations^' were not written by Bianchi, and that the poem of
David was not his^ Bianchi, however, in « the preface to
his second poem, ^' The Temple of Sdbmon,*' offered
every kind of proof that he was die author of both. ' We
have no farther account of this extraordiuary young man^
althoagh it is probable from the merit and cbaiacter of his
poems, that he found patrons who procured him leisure
and competence. ^
IBIANCHI (Francis Ferkari), called IlFrari, a painter
and sculptor of Modena, has the reputation of having been
the master of Corregio, but never arrived at the ^me of
bi^ pupil. There is one of his pictures in tlie church of ^
St Francis in Modena, by which it appears that be pos-
sessed a certain degree of mellowness, though his line is
too dry, and the eyes of his figures want the roundness of
nature, like those of Cimabue. He died in 1510, two yean
before the merit of Corregio began to be acknowledged* *
BIANCHI (John), an Italian naturalist, more gc^nerally
known by tbe name of Janus Plamcus, under . which he
published several works, was born Jan. 3, 1699, at Riniini^
where he died Dec. S, 1775. In 1717 be went to Bologna^
and studied botany, natural history, matiiemadcs, and
natural philosophy. Having taken the degree of doctor in
medicine in 1719, he returned to bis countiy, but after-
wards resided for some time at Bologna and Padua before
he settled and began practice at Rimini. Here aUo he
improved his acquaintance with botany, and in his different
tours accumulated a very fine collection of. specimens of
natural history. In 1741, he was appointed professor of
1 Bioy. UniveneU«t • IbkJ.-^PiUdngtottj
B I A N C B I. »21f
»
uatofny in the university of Sienna, but bis attachment tgf
his favourite studies induced hiai to return to Rimini, whero
be end'eavpured to revive the academy of the Lincei, the
members of which assembled at his house. He had focr
merly, when only twenty-two years of age, acted as their
secretary, and gave a history of them in his edition of the
Phytobasanos. In honour of his merits and services, the
society caused a medal to be struck, with his portrait on
one side, and on the other a lynx, with the words ^^ Lyn^
ceis restitutis/' Bianchi was frequently involved in contro*
versies respecting both himself and bis works, the prin^^*
cipal of which* are, 1. ^^ Lettere intorno alia cataratta,'*
Rimini, 1720, 4to. 2. ^^ Epistola anatomica adJosephum
Puteum Bononiensem,'' Bologna, 1726, 4to. 3. ^^ Osser*^
vazioni intorno una sezioue anatomica,** Rimini, 1731, 4t6«
4. ^^ Storia della vita di Catterina Vizjzani, troyata pusceila
nella sezione del suo cadavero," Venice^ 1744, 8 vo, trans-
lated into English, London, 1751, 8vo. 5. *^ Dissertazione
de* vesicatori," Venice, 1746, 8vo, in which he blames
the use of blisters. 6. *^ De monstris et rebus monstrosis,"
ibid. 1749, 4to. 7. ^^ Storia medica d*un apostema nel loba
destro del cerebello, &c." Rimini, 1751, 8vo, a very sin-
gular case, with the appearance on dissection, and a plate*
8. " Discorso soprail vitto Fitagorico," Venice, 1752, 8vo.
9. " Trattato de' bagni de Piza, &c." Flcnence, 1757, 8vo.
10. " Lettere sopra una gigaute," Rimini, 1757, 8vo. II.
^^ Fabii Columnar Phytobasanos, accedit vita Fabii et Lyn«
ceorum notitia, ciim annbtationibus,*' Florence, 1744, 4to,
with plates, notes, and additions. 12. ^^ De conchis minus
notis liber," Venice, 1739, 4to. with five plates, which
were increased to nineteen in a subse(|uent edition, finely
eugraved. Besides these he wrote several essays in the
Acts of the Academy of Sienna, the Memoirs of the Insti-
tute of Bologna, and the Florence Literary Journal, andl
left sev^rikl works In manuscript^
BIANCHI (John Antony), called by Fabropi Blan-
CHIUS, a religious of the order of the Minorites, was born
Oct. 2, 1686. For some years he taught philosophy and
theology, and was afterwards provincial of his order in the
Roman province, visitor of that of Bologna, one of the
counsellors of the inquisition at Rome, and an examiner of
the Roman clergy. He died Jan. 18, 1758. Amidst a.U
1 Bios. Uohr.8r0ell«.i^M«s<ttcheHi.— Sasi: Onomsst m BlsncQS.
Voi^V. Q
226 B I A N C H L
■
these graver employments, he found leisure to indulge his
taste for the belles lettres, and especially dramatic poetry,
trhich procured him admission into the academy of the
Arcadians. His works were published under his assumed
name of Farnabio Gioachino-Annutini, a childish anagram
of Fra Giovanni Antonio Bianchi. They are, principally,
1. ** Tragedie sacre e morali," four in number, one upoit
the history of sir Thomas More, and all in prose, Bologna^
1725, 8vo. 2. Other tragedies ; "LaDina," "II Deme-
trio,*' &c. published separately from 1734 to 1738. 3*
« De' vizj e dei diffeti del moderno teatro, e del modo di
corregerli e d'emendarli, ragionamenti vr," Rome, 175 3.
In this, which he published uitder his academic name, Lau-
riso Tragiense, he defends the opinion of MaiFei against
that of Concina, who had published a dissertation ** De
ipectaculis theatralibus,^' in which he maintained that dra-
matic exhibitions were unfriendly te religion and morals^
an opinion which has not been confined, as usually said,
to the puritans or methodists of England. 4. '* Delia po^^
teste e polizia della Chiesa, trattati due contro le nuove
dpinioni di Pietro Giannone," Rome, 1745 — 1751, '5 vols.
4to, a voluminous work in vindication of the temporal
power of the pope, which had been attacked by Giannone
in his History of Naples, and by Bossuet, whose principles
Giannone adopted. He wrote some tragedies and come*
dies, which do not appear to have been printed, and left
many other works in manuscript, which Fabroni has enu-
merated. ^
BIANCHI (John Baptist) a celebrated Italian ana«*
tomist, was born at Turin, Sept 12, 1681, and at the age
of seventeen was honoured with a doctor^s degree. He
was a long time professor of anatomy at I'u'rin, where the
Ung of Sardinia, in 1715, caused a very commodious am-
phitheatre to be built for his lectures. In 1718 he also
taught pharmacy, chemistry, and the practice of physic.
He was offered a professor^s chair in the university of Bo*
logna, but refused it from an attachment to his native
place, Turin. He died much esteemed, Jan. 2#, 1761.
He wrote a great many works; among which were, 1.
'*' Ductus lacry mails, &c. anatome,*' Turin, 171^, 4to,
Leyden, 1723. 2. ** De lacteorum vasorum positionibus
€t fabricSy" Turin, 1743, 4to. 3. <^ Storia del mostro di
. 1 Fkbroni YHtm Italorum, yoU XL— Biog. Uatvendle,
t*
n I A.N c ft n MT
du^ corpV* Turin, 1740, 8vo^ 4. " Leitefa aulP inseasi^*
bilita,*' Turin, 1755^ 8vo, in which he attacks Hall«r^t
iiotions on sensibility. But Biauchi's most celebrated
works are, 5. His *^ Historia hepatica, seu de Hepatin
structura, usibus et morbis," Turin, 1710, 4to. 1716| and
again at Geneva, 1725^ 2 vols. 4to. with plates, and six
anatomical essays. 6. ^' De naturali in humano corpore^
vitiosa, morbosaque generatipne historia,** ibid. 1761, 8vo;
Manget lias some dissertations by Biancbi in his Theatruni
'Anatomicum, and the collection of fifty-^four plates, con***
taining two hundred and seventy anatomical subjects, pub-*
lished at Turin* in 1757, was the work of Bianchi. He
was unquestionably a man of learning and skill in his pro«
fession ; but Morgagni, in his Adversaria, has pointed out
many of his mistakes, and those which occur in bis hisfeonff
of the liver, have been severely animadverted on by that
able anatomist in his '^ Epistolse Anatomicse duee,** printed
in 1727^. but without his consent, by4he friend to whom
they were written. In this work Bianchi is charged with
bad Latin, want'of judgment, care, memory, and l^oaoun
These charges, however severe as they seem, were not
thought to affect the general merit of Kanchi's great
work. *
BIANCHI (MarJc Ai^thony), an Italian lawyer, wa$
born at Padtia in 1498, and while eminent at the bar, and
in consultation, was not less distinguished for learning
and probity. In 1^25 he was appointed, for the third time,
professor of imperial law in the university of Padua ; in
1^32, a second time, professor of the decretals ; and leyitly
io 1544 chief professor of criminal law, a situiaition which
he retained until his death, Oct. 8, 1548. Among his
works, which are all on professional subjects^ atid written
i& Latin, are his^ 1. ^' Tractatus de indiciis hbmicidii ex
proposito commissi, &c." Venice, 1545, fol. 1549, 8vo;
2^ *^ Practica criminalis aurea,'' with ^' Cautelse singulares
ad reorum defensam," ibid. 1547, 8vo. 3« >' Tractatus d«
compromissis faciendis inter conjunctos, et de ea;ceptioni'*
bos impedientibus litis ingressum," Venice, 1547^ ^vo. *
BIANCHI (V£NDRAMiNO), a nobleman of Padua, was
secretary of the senate of Venice at the commencement of
the last century. After having been appointed resident from
hb republic at Milan, on the death of Charles IL king of
» ■ • •
1 Manget Bibl. Me<],-- Bioj^. yntT.— Memoirs of Literature^ vol. X.«-Repiib4
lie of Lettcn^ toI. L ' Biog< UniTerselie.
Q2
3S8 B I A N C H L
Spain, he waft sent into Swisserland in 1705, to treat of an
alliance between the cantons of Zurich and Berne, which
was accomplished by his means Jan. 12, 1706. Next
month he went into the Grisons, and there concluded a
treaty, of alliance Dec. 1 7. On his return to Venice, the
senate sent him as ambassador to England, where he re-^
sided about twenty months, to the satisfaction of both na«
tions. After that he accompanied the procurator Carlo
Rusini, as secretary, at the congress for concluding the
treaty of Passarowitz. This and his negociation in Swisser-
land produced, I. ^' Relazione del paese de' Svisseri e loro
alleati, d'Arminio Dannebuchi (the anagfam of Vendra*
mino Bianchi), Venice, 1708, 8vo. This was translated
into French and English, and often reprinted. 2. " Isto-
rica relazione delta pace di Passarowitz,*' Padua, 17 IS
and 1719, 4to,*
BIANCHINI (Bartholomew), an Italian author of the
end of the fifteenth century, was a native of Bologna,
where he was much esteemed for his learning and moral
character. His master Philip Beroaldo, in his commen-
taiy on Apuleius, speaks highly of him as a young man of
many accomplishments, and distinguished for his taste in
painting, and the knoy^rledge of ancient medals. The time
of bis death is uot known, but is supposed to have taken
place before li523. He published a life of Urceus Codrus,
prefixed to that author's works in various editions, and
among others that of Basil, 1540, 4to; and a life of Philip
Beruaido, printed with his commentary on Suetonius, Ve-
nice, 1510, fol. and in other editions of the same.*
BIANCHINI (FftANCisj, a very learned Italian astrono-
mer and philosopher, was born at Verona, Dec. 13, 1662.
After being instructed in the elements of education in his
own country, he removed to Bologiia, where he went
through a course of rhetoric and three years of philosophy^
in the Jesuits* college. He afterwards studied mathematics
and design, and made a great progress in both. In 16&0
he removed to Padua, where he studied divinity, and was
admitted to the degree of doctor. His master in mathe-
matics and natural philosophy was the learned Moutanari,
who became much attached to him, and bequeathed to
him his collection of fnathematical instruments. At Padua
Bianchini learned also anatomy^ and, with rather more plea^
-sure, botany* His inclination being for the church, he
BIANCHINI. 229
went next to Home, where he was kindly received by car-
dinal Peter Ottoboni, who knew his family, and appointed
him his librarian. Here^ as was usual for persons with his
views, he went through a course of law, but without losing
sight of his favourite studies, experimental philosophy^
mathematics, and astronomy. He was admitted a member
of the physico*mathematical academy, established by
Ciampini, and read many learned papers at their sittings.
In 1686 he returned to his own country, and was very
active in re- founding the academy of the Aletophili, or lovers
of truth, recommending to them more attention to mathe-
matical studies, and to assist them, he presented the society
with the instruments which Montanari had bequeathed to
him ; but this academy entirely depended on his presence^
and on his return to Rome two years after, gradually dis-
solved. Settled after this at Rome, he became connected with
the most eminent men of his time, and enriched his stores of
knowledge, by an acquaintance with Greek, Hebrew, and
French. Antiquities likewise became one of hiii favourite
pursuits. He often passed whole days among the splendid
ruins of Rome, assisted at every research, and digging
among them, visited all the museums, and made elegant
and correct drawings of all the monuments of antiquity.
On the death of Innocent XI. cardinal Ottoboni, his pro-
tector, being chosen pope by the name of Alexander VIIL
continued to interest himself in the fortune of Bianchini,
gave him a canonry in the church of St Mary Rotunda,
appointed him guardian and librarian to cardinal Peter
Ottoboni his nephew, gave hiin two pensions, and would
have promoted him yet farther, if he had lived, and if
Bianchini would have taken orders ; but he had not made
up his mind to take deacon^s orders until 1699, and never
would proceed farther. On the death of Alexander VIII^
in 1691, .the cardinal, bis nephew, continued his kindness^
' and besides bestowing a canonry on him in the chgrch of
St. Lawrence in Damaso, invited him to reside in his pa-
lace. Clement XI- who was elected pope in 1700, be-
stowed on him, the year following, the title of chamber-
lain of honour, authorized him to wear that dress of a pre-
late called the mantelloney and assigned him apartments in
the palace of Monte-Cavallo.
In 1702, the pope appointed him, with the title of his-
toriographer, to accompany cardinal Sarberini the legate
.d latcrfi to Naples, when the king of Spain, Philip V.
came to take possession of that kingdom. Bianchini pro-
<23p JP I 4 N C H J N I.
fited by thi? opportunity to visit mount Yesovius, and
ascended to th.e sutnmit of the crater. On his return to
:Ilome, in 1703, the senate of Kou^e conferred upon him^
his family, and descendants, the rank of the Roman nobi«
Jity and the patrician order. At the same time the pope
^hose him secretary of the committee for the reformation
«f the calendar. la order to regulate with precision the
course of the year, it was necessary to establish and fix
with the greatest accuracy the equinoxial points. Bian-
chini being employed to trace a meridian line, and to con*-
struct a gnomon on one of the churches, performed this
with great success, with the assistance of the learned Phi-
Jip Maraldi. The pope commemorated the construction of
.the gnomon by a medal, and Bianchini wrote a treatise on
both, ** De Numijiis et Gnomone Clementino."
HfLving^ in 17P3, been appointed president of antiqui*
ties, he exhibited :to the pope^ a plan for forming a eoU
l/^ction of ^4cr^d antiques, or aii ecclesiastical museum,
JLQtended to ffj^ni^h. materials for lecclesiastieal. history; but
f^ this would have been attended with yery great expence^
and the papad: treasury was at this time very low^ the
scheme wa$ abandoned. The: pope, however, to console
jBianchini, who had it very much at he0tt, gave him a
canonry in the church of St. Mary Maggiore, and, in 1712,
'sent him to Paris with a cardinaPs hat for Armand de
Bohan-Soubise, who was promoted to that dignity. The
pbject was trifling, but the journey was important, as
serving to introduce Bianchini to the literati of France,
who received him ^yith the utmost respect At Paris he
was constant in his attendance at the sittings of the acade*
my of sciences, whd h^d many years before elected bim
an honorary member, apd he presented tbem with a very
ingenious improvement in the construction of the larger
telescopes, to prevent those of uncommon length from
bending in the middle, an inconvenience which had been
thought without remedy. Reaumur wrote a description of
this, which is inserted in the memoirs of the academy for
1713. Before returning to Rome, Biianchini took a trip tQ
Lorraine, Holland, and Flanders, and theace into Engl^nd^
visiting and examining every museum und place where ob«
jects of curiosity were to be seen, and was every where
received with the respect due to his talents. During his
residence at Oxford, it is said that the university defra3re4
|:iie e^pences of his lodging ; snob is bis biographetr^a ac*
B I A N C H I N L 231
I
county by which is probably meant that he was invited to
lodge in one of the colleges.
On his return to Rome in the month of June, 17 13^ he
resumed his astronomical and antiquarian pursuits. VV hen
in France be conceived the idea of tracing a meridian line
through Italy, from sea to sea, in imitation of that of Casr
aini through the middle of France. He accordingly began,
his operations, and pursued the object at his own expence,
for eight years, but other plans and employments occur-
ring, he never completed the design. The papal favours,
however, wer^ still conferred on him, purely as a man o£
science. Innocent XIII. the successor of Clement XI. ap-
pointed him referendary of the pontifical signatures, and
doniestic prelate, and in the council held at Rome in 1725^
he filled the office of first historiographer. Next year, his.
love for antiquities was highly gratified, although at the
«ame time checked by an accident which had serious con-
sequences. There was discovered near Rome on the Ap-
pian way, a magnificent marble subterraneous building of
three large h^Us, whose walls consisted of a gceai number
of little cells like those of our modern pidgeon-houses*
Most of these cells contained, each, four cinerary urns,
acconipanied with inscriptions of the name and office of the
person whose ashes they contained, who were all slaves or
freed-men a^od women of the household of Augustus, espe-
cially that of Livia. There were also in this plaee some
exquisite specimens of mosaic ornaments. Bianchini^s joy
on this discovery may be easily appreciated by genuine
antiquaries ; hut one unfortunate day, while he was exa-
mining one of the chambers or halls, and preparing to
make a drawing, the ground on which be stood gave way^
and although his fall was broken by some earth which bad
been dug, one of bis thighs received such a serious injury^
that he was lame for the remainder of bis life ; and aU
though he found some relief at the baths of Viguona near^
Sienna, where he went the foUo'wing year, his health was
never completely re-established.
This accidfent, however, did not interrupt his literary
pursuits. He travelled to Florence, to Paruia, and to Co-
lorno, where, in the ducal palace, he traced a nieridiauj
^ich does not now exist; and on his return to Rome re-
4ume4 his astronomical labours, particularly his observa-
tions pn i^he planet Venus, whom he had been studying
fc[r a gjreat many years. H€ set out by e&deavouripg to
232 B I A rJ C H I N I.
ascertain her parallax by the ingenious method invented
by.Cassini for the parallax of Mars. This method consists
in comparing the motion of the planet, whose parallax is
wanted, with some fixed stars very n^ar it, and that for
some considerable space of time, but a fair opportunity of
doing it seldom happens. It was, however, signor Bian-
<;hini's good fortune to meet with one in the beginning ot
July, 1716, when Venus and Regulus came to the meri-
dian so nearly together^ that he could discover them both
in the same neld of his refracting telescope. In observing
the spots of Venus, he employed the instrument before
mentioned, which he presented to the academy of Paris.
His observations, however, on this planet, although very
interesting to the astronomers of his age, have not been
confirmed by the more recent observations of Herschel
and others, with instruments ofmuch greater power than he
possessed. What: be published on this subjet% in 1728,
leas among the last of his efforts for the promotion of
science, as he now contracted a dropsical complaint of
which he died March 2, 1729, He left his property t6
his nephew Joseph Bianchihi, the subject of our next ar*-
ticle, and the greater part of his books and ecclesiastical
anticjuities to the library of the chapter of Verona. Great
honours were paid to his memory by a monument in, the
cathedral of Verona, voted by the city, and other public-
marks of esteem. He was a man of extensive knowledge,
particularly in natural philosophy, mathematicS| botany,
agriculture, history, and antiquities. He. also cultivated
polite literature, oratory, and poetry. His manners, easy,
elegant, and accommodating, were rather those of the
world than of the schools, and he appears to have been
beloved, or respected, wherever he went.
His works w:ere nunierous: the following list of the
principal is arranged, rather according to the connexion
of the subjects, than the chronological order, which in
general it is convenient to preserve. 1. Three memoirs
ia the ^* Acta eriiditorum,*' of Leipsic, for 1685 and 1686,^
on a comet observed at Home in 1684; on Cassini*s me*
thod of observing the parallaxes and distances of the
planets, and on atotal eclipse of the moon at Rome, Dec.
10, 1685. 2. A memoir on the comet seen at Rome iit
April 1702, with other astronomical observations inserted
in the " Memoirs of the academy of Paris,'* 17QS, 17#6^
>nd 1708. All the preceding, if we mistake not^ are in
B I A N C M I N L flSS
VsAiin. 3. ^^ Relazione delta tinea meridiana oriz2onUle e
della ellissi polarefabbricata in Roma TaniiQ 1702," without
his name in the Joarnal << de' Letterati d'ltalia," vol IV.
4. << Epistola de ecHpsi solis die Maii, 1724," Rome^
1724. 5. << Hesperi et Phosphori nova phenomena, sive
observationes circa planetam Veneris," Rome, 1728, fok
6. <^ Fr. Biancbini astronomicae et geographies observa«
tiones selectee ex ejus autograpbis^ &c. cara et studio Eu*
stachii Manfredi," Verona, 1737, fol. 7. " De emble*
mate, nomine atque instituto Alethopbilorum, dissertatio
publice habita in eorundem acadetnia," Verona, 1687.
8. '* Istoria universale provata con ndonumenti e tigurata
^on simboli degli antichi," Rome, 1697, 4to. This curi-
ous volume, the plates of which were engraven by himself,
and from his own designs, was to have been followed by
several others, completing the series of ancient history, but
this proceeds no farther than the ruin of the Assyrian em-
pire. He will perhaps be thought to deal in paradox, tit
asserting here that the Iliad is no more than a real history
under the form of an allegory, each of Homer's heroes ot;
deities being a country or a king. 9. ^' De Kaleiidario et
Cyclo Caesaris ac de Paschaii canone S. Hippolyti martyris^
dissertationes duaE^," Rome, 1703, 1704, toL This also
contains an account of the gnomon he constructed, and
the pope^s medal struck on that occasion. 10. Two papers
explanatory of ancient sculptures, inserted in the f^ Me"
morie concernenti la citta d^Urbtno," Rome, 1724, foL
11. *^ Camera et iscri2doni sepolcrali, &c:'' the history of
the discoveries he made in the sepulchral building before
meiitioned, Rome, 1727, fol. 12. '^ Del paiazzo de' Ce*
«ari, opera postuma," Verona, 17 S8, published by hit
nephew who had accompanied it with a Latin translation*
13. ^^ Dissertatio posthiima de tribus generibus instru-
mentorum musicss veterum organicas,*' R(»me, 1742,
4to. 14. An edition of Anastasius BibUothecarius* history
of the PopfS, Rome, 1718^ 1723, and 1728, 3 vols. foL
The fourth was added by his nephew. 1 5. ^^ Opuscula
taria," Rome, i754, 2 vols. 4to. To these may be added
his Italian poems in the collection of those of the '* Aca-
demic! concordi^" of Ravenna, published at Bologna, 1687,
l2mo. and many scientific letters, dLsenations, if,o. in the
Paris *^ History of the Academy of the Sciences," for thift
years 1704, 1706 — 8, 17U, and 1718.*
1 Biog. UniTftivelle.-^Eloge by Pontenelle.— ChAufepie.-*FalMroiu Vita Ita«
Ittum, foL YL— Saail OnoiDastioim.
a34 B I A N C H I N r.
BIANCHINI (JosEf^H), nepbew of the precediog, priest
of the oratory of St. PhUip de Neri^ was also a learned
antiquary. He was born at Verona Sept. 9, 1704, the
son of John Baptist, brother to Francis Biancbini^ and was
educated under ^e eye of his uncle in the college of Mon-*
tefiascoiie. Before 1725, he was promoted to a catiooiy
in the cathedral, and a prebendal stall in St. Luke, and
was soon after appointed librarian to the chapter : but iu
1732 he resigned that and his benefices, and entered into
the congregation of the oratory at Rome, where he di»
vided his time between the pious duties of that order, and
bis literary researches, particularly in what related to his-
tory and ecclesiastical antiquities. His first publicatioa
was, 1. The fourth and concluding yolume of, his uncle's
edition of Anastasius Bibliothecarius, Rome, 1735, foi.
2. ** VindicisB canonicarum Scripturarum vulgatsD Latins
editionis,'' Rome, 1740, fol. This volume, the only one
published, was to have been followed by six others, the
plan of which is sketched in the preface, which, with the
preliminary dissertations, contains the history of all the
different books of the bible, the manuscript copies in vari<-
Qos libraries, tb^ translations, &c. 3. *^ Evangeliarum
quadruples Latinse versionis antiquaB, sen veteris Italicse,
nunc primnm in lucem editum ex codd. MSS. aureis, ar«
genteis, &c. aliisque plusquam millenarise antiquitatis,*'
• Rome,' 1749, foi. This may be considered as a part of
the preceding. 4. ^< Demonstratio historic ecclesiastics^^
quadripartitsB monumentis ad fidera temporum et gesto-
rum,'* ibid, 1752, fol. A second volume was afterwards
published of this elegant collection of fragments of anti-
quity, inscriptions, medals, vases, &c. found in the dif-
ferent churches, cemeteries, and museums of Rome, or
ebewhere, beautifully engraven, and accompanied with ex<»
planations and chronological tables. It extends, however^
iK> ferther than the first two centuries of the Christian uerar
/5. *^ Delle porte e mura di Roma, con illustrazioni," ibid.
1747, 4to. 6. *^ Parere sopra la cagione della morte della
sig. contessa Oomelia Zangari, esposto in una lettera,"
Verona, 1731, and an improved edition, Rome, 1743, 8vo^
This curious dissertation relates to a lady of rank who was
found in her room reduced to ashes, except her head, legs;
and one of her fingersi^ As this could not be ascribed to
external fire, the room being no wise damaged, it .excited
much ^ittention, and gave rise to a variety of opinions.
B I A N C H I N I. . 2SS
Biancbini mMntains in this tract, that it was-tbeeffecMf
an internal and spontaneous fire occasioned by the excesr
sive use of camphorated brandy, to which the lady bad
been oauch addicted. The J^me of Bianqhini's death is not
mentioned. * . ; • .
BIANCHINI (John FoRTUNATUS), an Italian ^philoso^
pher and physician of considerable repu^ition in the last
century, was born, in 1720, at Chi^ti in the kingdom of
Naples, where he studi^, took his degrees, and for some
years practised physic. He then went to Venice^ but.hi^
growing reputation procured him the place of first physi-
cian at Udina, where he resided from 1759 to.l777, and
was then appointed first professor of the practice of physitp
in the university of Padua, and was admitted a member ,of
the academy, a& he had been of that of Udina. H'ewas
likewise one of the pensionaries of the academy of Padua^
but did not .enjoy these situations long, dying Sept. 2^
1779. He wrote many treatises on professional subject^
electricity, the force of imagination in pregnant wonjien,
putrid fevers, worms, &c. a list of which may be seen in
our authority. *
BIANCHINI (Joseph Maria), an Italian scholar of the
last century, was born at Prato in Tuscany, Nov. Id, 1685«
He had but just finished his education at Florence, when
he was admitted a member of the academy of the Apatisti^
and two years after, of that of Florence, nor was he more
than twenty when he became known to and associated with
the principal literati of that city. He went afterwards to
Pisa, and studied philosophy and mathematics under Alex<-
ander Marchetti, the translator of Lucretius, and ther^; be
received the degree of doctor of laws, and the. order of
priesthood. There ialso the bishop of Prato appointed
him to give public lectures on the works of t^e, fathers, in
the course of which he became particularly attached ta
those of St. Bernard; and the bishop of Pistoia gavje hint
the living of St. Peter .at Ajolo, where he made himself
very popular. Such also was bis literary fame, that besides
the acadeinies we have mentioned, be was admitted a
member, of the Infecundi of Prato, the Innominati pf Bri^
in Piedmont, of the Rinvigoriti of Jfobgno, the:Arcadi^pg
of Rome, the Columbarian society, and the della Crusca^
His life was exemplary, his character loyal ai^d iugeouous^
^ BiQg. Unirerfelle.««»Saxhl8 uiBkachiaiif.' * Biog. Uni^enelle.
S3« BIANCHINl.
although somewhat reserved. He loved retirement, yet
>vas of a placid humour, and enjoyed effusions of wit ; but
in his latter years he fell into a state of melancholy, ag«
gravated by bodily disorder, which terminated in his death
Feb. 17, 1749. His two most considerable works, were,
1. <' De* gran duchi di Toscana della real casa de^ Medici,"
Venice, 1741, fol. an account of the ancient sovereigns
of Florence, as patrons of literature and the arts, but con-
taining little new matter. 2. '^ Delia satira Italiana, trat-
tato,^ V Massa, 1714, 4to. Florence, 1729, 4to; a critical
work highly esteemed in Italy. To the second edition the
author has annexed an Italian dissertation, on the hypo-
crisy of men of letters, in which be exposes what would be
called in this country the arts of puffing, which his bio^
grapher remarks, have made very great progress since his
time. 3. *^ La Cantica de Cantici di Salomone tradotta
in versi Toscani con annotazioni," Venice, 1735. Various
other small pieces of criticism, bibliography, &c. from his
pen are inserted in the academical collections, parti-
cularly " Prose Fioren tine,*' Venice, 1754, 4to. *
BIANCOLINI (John Baptist Joseph), was born at
Verona, March 10, 1697, of an eminent tiiercantile family,
and as after completing his education he shewed no incli<«
nation for the church, his father brought him up to trade,
which he carried on during the whole of his long life. In
his youth be was particularly attached to music, played
on several instruments, and even attempted composition,
but neither this taste, nor his mercantile pursuits, inter-
tupted his fondness for the study of the history and anti-
quities of his own country, which in the course of a. few
yHrs beheld one of its merchants placed in the rank of men
of letters and historians. His works entirely relate to the
history of Verona, and although he appears rather as editor
than author, yet bis countrymen felt no small obli^tion to
him for the care, and expense which he bestowed in im«
proving their ancient annalists. His first labour was a new
edition and supplement, in 2 vols. 4to, 1745 and 1747, of
Zagata's ** Chronicle of the City of Verona,'* enriched with
additions of great interest by Biancolini, particularly a plan
of the ancient theatre of Verona, which the learned MafFei
had thought it impossible to trace. 2. " Notizie storiche
dellecbi^ di Verona/' four books, 1749— 1752, 4to, af«
IBiog. yaireneUc
B I A N C O L I N I. JW7
I
terwards reprinted and enlarged to 6 vols. 4to. 3. " Dei
vescovi e gOTcrnatori di Verona dissertaziuni due,*' Ve-
rona, 1757, 4to. He also contributed to the Italiaa trans*
lation of tde Greek historians, '^ Collaiia degli storici
Greci/' (begun in 1733 atVerona by the bookseller Ra-
manzini) not only by literary, but pecuniary .assistance of
the most liberal kind. He died upwards of eighty*twQ
years old, in 1780.*
BIANCONI (John Lewis), a celebrated Italian phild*
sopher and physician, was born atBplogna, Sept. 30, 17 17.
After having studied physic with great diligence and suc-
cess, he was in his nineteenth yeatr appointed medical as^
sistant in one of the hospitals, and after tour years, was*
in 1742, admitted to the degree of doctor. In 1743 and
1744 he published a valuable translation into Italian of
Winslow's Anatomy, 6 vols. dvo. In the last mentioned
year, his reputation induced the landgrave of Hesse-Darm- .
stadt, prince and bishop of Augsburgh, to give him an in-
vitation to reside with him, which Bianconi accepted, and
remained there for six years. During this time he pub-
lished "Duelettere di Fisica," &c. Venice, 1746, 4to,
addressed to the celebrated marquis Maffei, and wrote ia
French an ** Essay on Electricity,** addressed to another
learned friend, count Algarotti. He also began, 4n Frencby
^* Journal des nouveaut^s litteraires d'ltalie,'* printed
at Leipsic, but with Amsterdam on the title, 1748, 1749^
8vo, which he continued to the end of a third volume*
In 1750, he went to the couirt of Dresden, with a strong
recommendation from pope Benedict XIV. to Augustus
III. king of Poland, who received him .into his confi-
dence, and appointed him his aulic counsellor, and in
1760 sent him to France on a political affair of cqnsl*
derable delicacy, which be transacted with skill and satis-
factiQn to his employer. In 1764, his majesty appointed
him his resident minister at the court of Rome, where he
felt his literary taste revive with its usual keenness, and
was a contributor to various literary Journals. That of the
** Effemeridi letterarie di Roma" owed its rise principally
to him, and for some time, its fame to his contributions. It
was in this he wrote his eloges on Lupacchinj,. Piranesi,^
and Mengs, which last was published separately, with ad*.
ditions, in 1780. In his twelve Italian letters on the his-
tory of Cornelius Celsus, printed at Rome in 1779, h^
} Bio^. Universdle*
238 » I A N C ONI.
restores' that celebrated physician to the age of Augusta^/
eontrary to the'coniinon opinion, ati'd to that of Tirasboscbif
(tcr whom thcfy 'were addressed), who places him in what is^
called the silver age. He <vas projecting a magnificent
editidn of Celsus, a life of Petrarch, and some other lite-
rary undertakings, when he died sudderily at Perugia, Jan.
I, 1781, universally regretted. He left ready for the
press, a work in Italian and French, on the circus of Cara-
ealla, which was magnificently printed at Rome in 1790^
with nineteen beautiful, engravings. *
BIAS, called one of^Sie wise men of Greece, was born
at Priene, a small town of Caria, about 570 B. C. Hc
was in great repute in Greece, under the reigns of Ha-»
lyattes and Crcesus, kings of Lydia. Though bom to great
riches, be lived without splendour, expending his fortune
in relieving the needy, and although esteemed the most
eloquent orator of his time, he desired to reap no other
advantage from this talent, than that of glory to his coun-
try. In his pleadings he shewed such discrimination, as
never to undertake Any cause which he did not think just.
It was usual to say of a good cause that it was one which Bias
would have undertaken, yet we are not told by what means
he knew that a cause was good before it was tried. On
one occasion, certain pirates^ brought several young women
to sell as slaves at Prien^. Bias purchased them, and
maintained them, until he had an opportunity to return
them to their friends. This generous action could not fail
to increase his popularity, and made him be styled ** the
prince of the wise men."
When Halyattes laid siege to PrienSj Bias, who wa*
then chief magistrate, made a vigorous resistance for a long:
time, and when, owing to a scarcity of provisions, the city
was in danger of being surrendered, Bia^ caused two beau*
tiful mules to be fattened, and to be driven towards the
enemy's camp, as if they had escaped from the inhabitants
of Prien^. Halyattes, seeing these animals in so good
plight, was afraid the town was in no danger of starving^
but, in order to be certain, contrived to send a spy into the
city. Bias, suspecting his design, caused great heaps of
sand to be covered with wheat, and the messenger having
reported this abundance, Halyattes made an alliance with
the inhabitants of Priene, and left them in peace.
Bias is said to have composed above two thousand verses^' >
1 Biog. Universelle. — Saxii Onomast.
BIAS. 259
cpQtsimng pradential maxinis, many of which may be focind
hi Stiinleyy and other writers on the lives of the philosophers.
The iToUowing have been selected by Brucker : ^Mt is a
proof of a weak and disordered mind to desire impossi-
bilities. The greatest infelicity is, not to be able to endure
misfortunes patiently. Great minds alone can support a
sudden reverse of fortune. The most pleasant state is, to
be always gaining. Be not unmindful of the miseries of
others. If you are handsome, do handsome things ; ifde*
formed, supply the defects of nature by your virtues. Be
slow in undertaking, but resolute in executing. Praise
not a worthless man for the sake of his wealth. Whatever
good you do, ascribe it to the gods, j^ay in wisdom as the
store for your journey from youth to old age, for it is the
most certain possession. . Many men are dishonest ; there-
fore love your friend with caution, for he may hereafter
become your enemy.'* This last, however, would have
better become a Rochefoucault, or a Chesterfield. Bias
happened to be at Priene, when it was taken and sacked,
and when asked, why he did not, like the rest, think of
saving something, answered, " So I do, for I carry my all
with me." The action by which his days were terminated
was no less illustrious than those of his former life. He
caused himself to be carried into the senate, where he zea-
lously defended the interest of one of his friends, but being
now very old, it fatigued him much. He leaned his head
on the breast of one of his daughter's sons, who had ac-
companied him. When the orator, who pleaded for his
opponent, had finished his discourse, the judges pro-
nounced in favour of Bias, who immediately expired in the
arms of his grandson. ^
BIBBIENA, Cardinal. See DOVIZI.
BIBBIENA (Ferdinand Galli), painter and architect,
was born at Boulogne in 1657. He studied the elements
of his art under Cignani, a distinguished artist, and
when this master produced his disciple to the world, hisr
talents for architecture, for theatrical decorations, and for
perspective, obtained him a good reception. The duke of
Parma and the emperor gave him the title of their first
painter, and loaded hitn with favours. Several magnificent
edifices were raised after his plans. His pieces of perspec-
1 SUnley's Hiitory of Philoiophjr.— Bruoker.— Fendoa, translated ky Cor-
■lack.
240 B I B B I £ N A.
tive ate full of taste, but there have not been wanting soma^
critics who have censured him for having a pencil more
fontastic than natural and just. He died blind io 1743,
leaving two books of architecture ; and sons worthy of their
father. It is probable that to one of them (J. Galli Bib*
biena) the public is indebted for the ^^ History of the
amours of Valeria and the noble Venetian Barbarigo/*
translated into French, Lausanne and Geneva, 1751. He
had also a brother, an architectural painter of considerable
£ame./
BIBLIANDER (Theodore), an eminent Protestani
divine, whose real fiame was Buchman, which he changed
into Bibliander,: according to a custom very prevalent in
his time, was born in 1500, or rather 1504, according to
D. Clement and Saxius, at Bischoffzel near St Gall, and
in 1532, succeeded Zwinglius in the divinity-chair at
Zurick. This he filled a considerable. time, until having
adopted some opinions on the subject of predestination,
which were hostile to those generally received in the re«
formed church, he was gently dismissed, by being declared
emeritus, and his place supplied by Peter Martyr. He
died qf the plague at Zurich in 1564. He was a man of
great reputation for learning, especially in the oriental
languages. He wrote, 1. *^ Apologia pro edit. Alcorani^
edita a J. Fabricio, cum testamento. Moh^medis,'' Rostock,
1638, 4to. 2. ^^ Machumetis Saracenorum principis, ejus-
que successorum vitae, doctrina, ac ipse Alcoran," &c.
Basil, 1 543, fol. This work is divided "into three parts ;
the first contains a Latin translation of the Alcoran ; the
seconds many pieces in refutation of the doctrines and er-
rors of the Alcoran ; and the third, some parts of the works
of Paul Jovius, and others, on the history and manners of
the Turks. The whole was reprinted at Basil in 1550, but
with considerable alterations in the second part, and the
addition of some articles to the third. 3. ** Q[uoinodo opor*
teat legere sacras scripturas, praescriptiones Apostolorum^
Prophetarum, &c.^' ibid. 1550, 8vo. 4. ^^ Amplior coh«
•ideratio decreti synodalis Trident de authent. doct. eccL
Dei, &c.*' 1551, 8vo. 5. '* Sermo divin. majest, voce
pronunciatus, sen Comment, in Decalog. et Sermon. Dom.
in monte Sinai,'' Basil, 1552, fol. 6. *' Concilium sacra-
sanctum eccL cathol. in quo demonstratur quomodo possit
1 Bio|f. UniTereelU,
B I B L I A N D E R. 241
^ereuDti popnlo Christiano succorri,'* 1552^ 8vo. 7. *^ Vi-
ta B. Marci evangeiistaB>*' Bale, i5S2^ 8, ^M!)e ratione
temp.. Christ &c. liber/' ibid. I55ly 8vo. 9. " Temporuia
a condito mundo usque ad ultim. ipsius setat. supputatio,^'
ibid* 15589 fol. 10. ^* Evangeiica bistoria/' ibid. 1551*
11. <^ De fatis 'monarchiae Rotnanae, somniuoiy Taticinium
Esdrae/' &g. ibid. 1553, 4to, a coUectioa of remarks on
prophecies applicable to the apostacy of the Romish church*
12. " De summa Trinitate et fide catholicai &c.-'' ibid*
1^55, 4to. 13. ** De Mysteriis' salutiferas passionis et
mortis Jesu Messis^ libri tres/' ibid. 1555. 14. '' De
ratione communi omnium iinguarum et litterarum commen-
tarius/' Zurich, 1548, 4to, a curious work, in which he en-
deavours to prove an analogy between all languages, and
all the letters of those languages. These last five works
are extremely rare. Bibliander also, assisted by Conrad
Pelican and Cholin, completed and superintended the edi-
tion of the Bible by Leo de Juda, and translated a consi-
derable part of it. Many of his manuscripts are preserved
in the library of Zurich, and a full account of them has
been given by Teissier in his additions to Thuanus's account
of eminent men, vol, II. ^
BICHAT (Maria-Francis-Xavier), a very celebrated
'French physician, and whose labours have greatly promoted
the study of physiology, was born Nov. 11, 177 J, at Thoi-
rette. His father was, also a physician, an|. had pro-
bably initiated him in medical knowledge, which he studied
at Lyons, where Petit, then surgeon of the Hotel-Dieu in
that city, under whom he was taught anatomy and surgery,
bad such ah opinion of his talents, that he made him his
assistant, although then only in his twentieth y^ar. When
Lyons was besieged in 1793, he made his escape, and ar-
rived at Paris about the end of that yean There, without
any recommendations from friends, he resumed his studies
and became one of the pupils of the celebrated Dussault,
who discovering his uncommon talents, invited him to his
house, treated him as his son, and found in him a most
able assistant Of this generous protector, however, he
was deprived by death in 1795, and became in his turn the
support of Dussault's widow and children. He first com-
pleted the fourth volume of Dussault's ^^ Journal de Chi-
1 Bjof . UBir.-^en. Diet,«>Moreri.~Melchior Adam in vitis Theologwriun.
i OnomafticOB*
Vol. V. R
Hi Bit HA T.
rurgie.'* In 1797 be published bis ** CEuvres chirurgicales/?
2 vols. 8vo. In the same year he began to give lecturds
on anatomy and operative surgery, to which, in 1798, he
added a course of physiology, which produced his "Trait6
des Membranes," 1800, 8vo, and " Becherches pbysiolo-
giques sur la vie et sur la mort," 1800, 8vo, in both which
be advances some of those original opinions which attracted
the attention of the faculty both at home and abroad, and
paved the way for the higher fame he acquired by his
♦* Anatomic generale appliqu6e a la physiologic et a Id.
medicine," Paris, 1801, 4 vols. 8vo, one 6f the ablest works
on the subject which France has produced. The year pre*
ceding, although only twenty-eight years old, he was ap-
pointed physician to the Hotel Dieu, and had begun a new
treatise on descriptive anatomy, when the world was de-
prived of his. labours, by a premature death, the conse-
quence of a putrid fever, July 22, 1802. He was deeply
regretted for his talents and virtues. ^
BIDDLE (John), a noted Socinian writer, was bom in
1615, at Wotton-under-Edge, in Gloucestershire. He was
educated at the free-school in that town ; and, being a pro-
mising youth, was noticed by George lord Berkeley, who
made him an allowance of 10/. a year. While at this
school, he translated Virgil's eclogues, and the two first
satires of Juvenal, into English verse, both which were
printed at London in 1634, in 8vo. In 1634 he was sent
to Oxford, and entered at Magdalen-hall. June 23, 1683,
he took the degree of bachelor of arts, and soon after was
invited to be master of the school of his. native place, but
declined it. May 20, 1691, he took his degree of master
jof arts ; and the magistrates of Gloucester having chosen
him master of the free-school of St. Mary de Crypt in that
city, be went and settled there, and was much esteemed for
his diligence. Falling, however, into some opinions con-
ceniing the Trinity, different from those commonly re-
ceived, and having expressed his thoughts with too much
freedom, he was accused of heresy : and being summoned
before the magistrates, he exhibited in writing a confes-
sion, which not being thought satisfactory, he was obliged
to make another more explicit than the former. When he
had fully considered this doctrine, he comprised it in twelve
arguxxients drawn, as he pretended, from the Scripture ;
1 Biof . VnirerseUe.-»>X)ict. Hist,
B I D D L E. 5243
wherein the commonly'-received opinion, touching the deity
of the Holy Spirit, is attempted to be refuted *. An ac-
quaintance who had a copy of theoi, having shewed them
to the magistrates of Gloucester, and to the parliament
committee then residing there, he was committed, Dec. 2,
1645, to the common gaol, till the parliament should tak43
cognizance of the matter. However, an eminent person
in Gloucester procured his enlargement, by giving security
for his appearance when the parliament should send for
him. June 1646,' archbishop Usher, passing through
Gloucester in his way to London, had a conference with
our author, and endeavoured, but in vain, to convince him
of his errors. . Six months after he had been set at liberty
he was summoned to appear at Westminster, and the par-
liament appointed a committee to examine him ; before
whom he freely confessed, that he did not acknowledge the
commonly-received notion of the divinity of the Holy
Ghost, but, however, was ready to hear what could be
opposed to him, and, if he could not make out his opinioti
to be true, honestly to own his error. But being wearied
with tedious and expensive delays, he wrote a letter to sit
Henr}' Vane, a member of the committee, requesting him
either to procure his discharge, or to make a report of his
case to the house of commons. • The result of this was, biis
being committed to the custody of one of their officers^
which restraint continued the five years following. He
was at length referred to the assembly of divines thea
sitting at Westminster, before whom he often appeared,
and gave them in writing his twelve arguments, which
were published the same year. Upon their publication, he
was summoned to appeat* at the bar of the house of com-
mons ; where being asked, " Whether he owned this trea-
tise, and the opinions therein ?'Vhe answered in the affirma-
tive. Upon which he was^^mitted to prison, and the
house ordered, Sept. 6, 11^7, that the book should be
called in and burnt by the hangman, and the author be
examined by the committee of plundered ministers. But
Mr. Biddle drew a greater storm upon himself by two tracts
he published in 1648, ^^ A confession of faith touching the
* These twelve arguments, &c. were were answered by Matthew Poole^
first published in 1647, and reprinted M. A. the learned editor of Synopsis
IB 1653, and lastly in 1691, 4to, iu a Criticorum, in his Plea for the God-
coUection of Socinian tracts, entitled head of the Holy Ghost, &c. aud by
.** The faith of one God, &c.'' They others at home and abroad.
R 2
244 B I B D L E.
Holy Trinity according to the Scripture ;" and " The tes-
timonies of Irensusi Justin Martyr, TertuUian^ Novatianus,
Theopbilus^ Origen, also of Arnobius, Lactantius, Euse-
bius, Hilary, and Brightmani concerning that one God,
and the persons of the Holy Trinity, together with obser-
vations on the same/' As soon as they were published^
the assembly of divines solicited the parliament, and pro-
cured an ordinance, inflicting death upon those that held
opinions contrary to the received doctrine about the Tri-
nity, and severe penalties upon those who differed in lesser
matters. Biddle, however, escaped by a dissension in the
parliament, part of which was joined by the army; many
of whom, both oflSicers and soldiers, being liable to the
severities of the ordinance above-mentioned, it therefore
from that time lay unregarded for several years. Biddle
had now more liberty allowed him by his keepers ; who
suffered him, upon security given, to go into Staffordshire^
where he lived some time with a justice of peace, who en-
tertained him with great hospitality, and at his death left
him a legacy. Seijeant John Bradshaw, president of the
council of state, having got intelligence of this indulgence
granted him, caused him to be recalled, and more strictly
confined. In this confinement he spent his whole sub«-
stance, and was reduced to great indigence, till he was
employed by Rc^er Daniel of London, to correct an im-
pression of the . Septuagint Bible, which jthat printer was
about to publish : and this gained him for some time, a
pomfortable subsistence.
In 1654 the parliament published a general act of ob-
livion, when Biddle was restored to his liberty. This he
improved among those friends he had gained in London^
in meeting together every Sunday for expounding the
Scripture, and discoursing thereupon ; by which means
his opinions concerning the unity of God, Christ his only
son, and his holy, spirit, were so propagated, that the
presbyterian ministers became highly offended. The same
year he published his ** Twofold scripture catechism,'*
which was ably answered by Dr. Owen in bis *^ Vindicias
Evangelical,'' Oxford, 1655; but a copy coming into the
bands of some of the members of Cromwell's parliament,
meeting Sept. 3, 1654, a complaint was made* against it
in the house of commons. Upon this, the author being
brought to the bar, and asked ^^ Whether he wrote that
book?" answered by asking, ^^ Whether it seemed reason-
B I B D L £. **S
ftble, that one brought before a judgment seat as a crimi*
nal, should accuse himself?*' After some debates and
resolutions, be was, Dec. 13, committed close prisoner
to the Gatehouse. A bill likewise was ordered to bo
brought in for punishing him ; but, after about six montltt
imprisonment, he obtained his liberty at the court of king's
bench, by due course of law. . About a year after, another
no less formidable danger overtook him, by his engaging
in a dispute with one Griffin, an anabaptist teacher. Many
of Griffin's congregation having embraced Biddle's opinions
concerning the Trinity, he thought the best way to stop
the spreading of such errors would be openly to confute
his tenets. For this purpose he challenges Biddle to a
public disputation at his meeting in the Stone chapel in ^
St. Paul's cathedral, on this question, " Whether Jesus
Christ be the most high, or almighty God ?'' Biddle
would have declined the dispute, but was obliged to ac-
cept of it ; and the two antagonists having met amidst a
numerous audience. Griffin repeats the question, asking
^^ if any man « there did deny that Christ was God most
high ?" to which Biddle resolutely answered^ ^^ I do deny
it:" and by this open profession gave his adversaries 'the
opportunity of a positive and clear accusation, which they
soon laid hold of. But Griffin being baffled, the dispu*
tation was deferred till another day, when Biddle was to
take his turn of proving the negative of the question^
Meanwhile, Griffin and his party, not thinking themselves
a match for our author, accused him of fresh blasphemies^
and procured an order from the protector to apprehend
him, July the 3d (being the day before the intended -se*
cond disputation), and to commit. him to the Compter.
He was afterwards sent to Newgate, and ordered to be
tried for his life the next sessions, on the ordinance against
blasphemy. However, the protector not chusing to have
him either condemned or absolved, took him out of the
hands of the law, and detained him in prison; till at length,
being wearied with receiving petitions for and against him,
he banished him to St. Mary's castle, in the isle of Scilly,
where he was sent Oct, 1 655. During this exile, he employed
himself in studying several intricate matters, partioularlyi
the Revelation of St. John, and after bis return to Lon«
don, published an essay towards explaining it. In 1658,
the protector, through the intercession of many friends,
suffered a writ of habeas corpus to be granted out of th«
24fi B I.D D L E.
king's benob, wherry the prisoner was brought back^ and^
nothing being laid to his charge, was set at liberty. Upon
his return to London, he became pastor of an independent
meeting; but did not continue long in town ; for, Crom«
well dying Sept* 3, 1658, his son Ricliard called a par-
liament, consisting chiefly of presbyterians, whoni, of all
men, Biddle most dreaded : he therefore retired privately
into the country. This parliament being soon dissolved;^
he returned to his former employment till the restoration
of king Charles the Second, when the liberty of dissenters
was taken awayy and their meetings punished as seditious.
Biddle then restrained himself from public to more private
assemblies^: but> Jiine 1, 1662, he was seized in his
^ lodging, where he and some few of his friends had met for
divine worship^ and was, with them, carried before a jus-
tice of peace, who committed them all to prison, where they
lay till the recorder took security for their answering to the
charge brought against them at the next session. But the
^urt not being then able to find a statute whereon to form
aay^criminal. indictment, they were referred to the session
folkiwing^ and proceeded against at common law; each
of the hearers was fined 20/. ; Biddle, 100/., and to lie in
prison till paid. By his confinement, hovv^ever, he con-
tracted a disease which put an end to his life. Sept* 22^
1662, in the 47th year of his age. He was buried in the
cemetery near Old Bethlem, in Moorfields ; and a monu—
meiit was erected ' over his grave, with an inscription.
Bis life was published in Latin at London, 1682, by Mr.
E^rrington; of the Inner Teknpie,- who gives him & high
cfaamcter for ^iety and morals, and by the Rev." Joshua
Tou|min,* in 1769,'8vo, who styks him the Father of the
Eriglish Unitarians J ^
V BIDERMANN ^{JoHN Theophilxjs, or Gottueb), a
iscry learned and voluminous Gefrman writer, was born
at Naumberg, April ;5, 170$, and studied at Wittemberg,
where he was admitted to his master's degree in 1717, and
Qoon after made librarian to the city. In 1 732 he returned
to Naamberg, and was appointed co-rector of the pubHc
school^ in which office he continued for nine years, and
ill 1741, on 4he death of John George Scutz, was pro-*
moted to be rector. In 1747, the place of rector of the
Ctfhool of Ffiedburg becoming vacant, he was invited to
1 Bioff. Srit and lives above-mentioned.— rAth, Ox. yoL 11.
B I D E E M A N N. »4T
t
fill it, and accordingly, with the conseixt of bis patrons at
Naumberg, he removed thither, and added greatly to the
reputation of the schools He died there in 1772, leaving
a vast number of works in Latin and German, published
during his literary career, some of which involved him in
controversies with his contemporaries, carried on in the
German journals with a considerable degree of animosity.
Harles enumerates above an hundred and fifty articles of
bis publication, separately, or in the literary journals, on
subjects of sacred criticism, philology, the arts, poetical
criticism, and some works of whim and imagination ; the
following selection will probably afford a sufficient speci-
men : 1 . ^^ De. insolentia titulorum librariorum,?' Naumberg,
1743. 2. " De religione eruditorum," ibid. 1744. 3. " Me-
telemata philologica," ibid. .1746, with a continuation,
1 748 — 50. 4, *^ Cur homines montani male audiant ?." ibid.
1748. 5. ^^ De Latinitate maccaronica,'' ibid. 6. ^^Delsop-*
sephis,'' ibid. 7. ^* Fabulosa de septem dormientibus histo-
ria," ibid. 1752. 8,"DearteObliviscendi,"ibid.l752. 9.<<De
primis rei metalUcfB inventpribus,'' ibid. 1763. 10. *^ Db
antiquitate sodinarum metallicarum,'' ibid. 1764. 11. <^ Acta
scholastica," 1741, &c. 8 vols, a collection of programmaii
and academtical dissertatiotis, continued afterwards under
the title of ^^ Nova acta schoUstica.'* 12. *^ Sel^ta scbow
lastica,'* 1744 — 46, 2 vols. 13. " Otia litteraria," Frei-
burgfay 1751. In a dissertation which he published in
1749, ^^ De vita inusica adPlautiMostellarium," act III.
60. 2. V. 40, he has collected all that the ancients and
raodetfis have advanced against music and musicians ; but,
aa this was founded on mistaking the sense of Plautus, it
ocsasioned a long literary contest, in which Bidermann
did not appear to the best advantage. Harles, indeed, aU
lows that yJhis. judgment did not always keep pace with his^
learning.^
BIDLOQ (Godfrey), a famous anatomical writer,* was
born at Amsterdam March 12, 1649. After he had passed
through his academical studies, be applied himself to
physic and anatomy, and took his degree of M. D. He
soon acquired considerable practice; in 1688 was made
professor of, anatomy at the Hague, which he quitted in
1694 for the professorship of anatomy and chirargery at
Leyden ; and afterwards William III. of England appointed
I. Bio;. Univt^-Harles 4« Vitii Pbl^ologorunii vol. II«— »Savii PtOQiasUccnw; ;
,t4S B I D L O O.
him his physician, which he accepted on condition of
holding bis professorship. The king died in 1702; and
Bidloo returned to his former employments, in which he
had been interrupted by his constant attendance upon that
prince. He died at Leyden, April 1713, being 64 years
ef age. His chief work was his " Anatomia humani cor«-
poris,*^ in 105 plates drawn by Lairesse, Amst. 1685, fol.
very ^ beautiful, but not entirely correct, a circumstance
which being pointed out by the celebrated Ruyscb, drew
from Bidloo a reply not very temperate, entitled " Vinw
dicise quorundam Delineationum Anatomicarum contra inep-
tasAnimadversiones F. Ruyschii, &c.^' 1 697, 4to. Bidloo also
published : 1. '^ A letter to Anthony Leeuwenhoek concern-
ing the animals which are sometimes found in the liver of
sheep or some other animals/' This was published in Low
Dutch, Delft, 1698, 4to. 2; ^' Gulielmus Cowper criminis
Xiterarii citatus coram tribunali nobiliss. ampliss. Societatis
Britanno-RegiaB," Leyden, 1700, 4to, pagg^ ^4. This piece
contains a very severe accusation against Mr. Cowper, a
surgeon of London, and fellow of the royal society. Dr*
Bidloo being informed that Mr. Cowper was engaged in
translating his anatomy into English, had a conversation
with him while he was at London, and offered him that in
case he had such ^ design, he would communicate several
additions and renuu*ks, which he had made since the pub-
lication of that work. Mr. Cowper asitoed him, that h<^
had no intention of that kiiid, as he did not understand
Latin sufficientlv to execute such a task. In the meim
while he procured three hundred copies of the cuts of
Dr.^ Bidloo's book to be bought for him in Holland, upon
which he caused the references to be written verv artfully,
in order to change, and add to, and frequently to spoil
the*doctor's explication of the cuts. He had, likewise^
an English title-page pasted upon the Latin one, in whicb^
instead of the real author's name his own was inserted,
and he placed his own picture in the room of Dr. Bid-
loo's. And although be occasionally mentioned our
author in the preface, and added a few cuts at the end,
^Bidloo affirms, that the preface was inserted afterwards,
when Mr. Cowper found that this piece of plagiarism
would be resented. He observes, also, that the figures
in the appendix were not drawn from the life, since
there was no proportion observed in them, as is evident to
those who uttderstand the first principles of anatomy. Mn
B r.D 1 o o. ««
Cowper wrote an answer to this piece^.wbereip. he charged
Dr* Bidloo likewise lyith plagiarism, aad several mistakea^
•which he had oooimitjbed ; and this affair gave occasiou to
bis publishing afterwards his great work upon the muscled
3. *^ Exercitatioaum Anatomico-Chirurgicarum Decades
duse^'^ Leydeoj 1708, 4to. 4. He published likewise asniaU
piece upon the disease. of which king William IIL of Eng-
land died« 5. ** Letters^ of the Apostles who were oiar-
tyred/' Amsterdam, 1698, 4to, in Low Dutch verse, of
which, as well as of Latin, he was very fond, and was
thought to have succeeded* He supposes in this book,
that the apostles wrote these letters before they suffered
martyrdom, and addressed them to their disciples, in order
to inform them of their last desires, and to instruct them in
what manner they ought to act after themselves were re-
moved from this world. There was published at Leyden,
1719, a miscellaneous collection of our autbor*s poems iu
Low Dutch. His brother, Lambert Bidloo, an apotheoary
at Amsterdam, was the author of some Dutch poetry, and
of a work ^' De re herbaria," printed at the end of the
*^ Catalogue of the Garden of Amsterdam," by Commelin» ^
Ley den, 1709, 12mo. Lambert's sou, Nicholas, became
first pt\ysician to the Czar Peter I., and inspector of the
hospital of St. Petersburgh. '
BIE (Adrian de), aa ingenious artist, was bom at
Liere, in Brabant, in 1594, and at first learned the rur
diments of the art from Wouter Abts, afterwards became
the disciple of Rodolph Schoof, a painter of considerable
reputation at that Ume at Paris, and when he had prac-
tised under that master for a sufficient time to form his
hand, he sought to- obtain still greater improvement > by
travelling to Rome ; and there he spent six years in study-r
ing the works of the best masters, devoting his whol^ tim^
to his profession. His industry was then rewarded with
proportionable .success; for he fou&d encouragement
among the most honourable persons at Rome, and in every
part of Italy. His penciling was so exceedingly neat, and
Lis touch and colouring so very delicate, that he was fre-
4}ueDtly employed to paint on jasper, agate, porphyry^
and other precious materials. His master«piece is St. Eloi^
in the principal church at Liere. The time of his death is
not known ; his son, Cornelius de Bie, wrote the lives of
A Gen. Dict«-«Moreru-oHall^rx Bibl. AnatoBi.«*Bios. Vniverselle.
550 B 1 E.
the paintersy &c, under the title ** Guide Cabinet, &,c.^
in Flemish verse, with their portraits.
Another D£ BIE (Jacob or James), who was bom at
Antwerp, in 1581, was an eminent en graver of an tiquities^
* coins, &o. and published, 1. " Itoperatorum Roman. Nu-
mismata," from Julius Caesar to Heraclius, Ant. 1615,
4to» 2. " Numismata Grseciae," ibid, fol. 3. " La France
Metallique, &c." Paris, 1636 j also the portraits for Me-
^eeray's history, and other works of a similar kind. His
style resembles that of the CoUaerts, and he drew cor«
rectly, and executed his plates entirely with the graver,
in a neat clWr determined manner,, and upon the whole,
his • prints may rank witV those of the best early Flemish
masters. '
- BIEL (Gabriel), one of the ablest scholastic divines of
his time, was bom at Spire, and preached with great re-
putation at Mentz, until Eberharaj duke of Wittemberg,
having founded the university of Tubingen, invited him thi-
ther in 1477, to BIl the theological chair. Towards the end
of his days he retired to a convent of regular canons, where
, hedifed very old. In 1495. His principal writings were*:
1.-.^* CoUeotorium super libros sent^ntiarum G. Occami/*
Tubingen j 1,501, fol. 2. ** Lectura super canonem
Missae,'* Rutlingen, 1488, fol.; and S. " Sacri canonis
Misste, &c. expositio," Tubingen, .14^9, fol., and thrice
reprinted. Be is- also said to have Written **De moneta-
fatn potestate simul et utilitate," Nuremberg^ 1542, Co-
logn, 1574, a:nd Lydns, 1605.*
BIEL (John Christian), a Lutheran divine of the last
(century, was born at Brunswick, in 1687, and died in
11^45. He was the author of a great many theological dis-
sertations inserted in Ugoiin's ** Thesaiir. ahtiquitat. sacr."
and of a valuable work published after his death by E. H.
Mut2?enbecher, under the title of ^* Novus The^urus Phi-
lologicus, sive* Lexicon in LXX. et alios interpretes et
scriptoresapocryphosVeteris Testament!," Hague, 1779 —
80, 3 vols. 8vo, to which Schleussrier added the suppletnents.*
BIELFELD (James Frederick Baron de), was born
et Hamburgh March 31, 1717. In a journey which be
made to Brunswick, he became acquainted with Frede-
'; X Dcsobamps. — Pilkingtop. •— Strutt — Biojg. Unir,— rFoppen, ^b^ Belg, -^se
SavU bnomasticon in Biaeus.
« Dupin.— rMoreri.— ^Freheri Theatrum. — Saxii Onomast.
I Biog. Uuiyerielle.— Sazii OnomaaticoB.
B I E L F E L D. \ 251
rick II. then prince royal, who, on coming to the throne,
took him into his service, and sent him, as secretary of
legation, with count de Truchses, Prussian ambassador to
the court of St James's, but discovering that the baron^s
talents were not calculated for diplomatic affairs, he,, in
1745, appointed him preceptor to prince Augustus Fer-
dinand his brother; after that, in 1747, curator of the
universities, and in 1748 he created him a baron, with
the rank of privy-counsellor. The last years of his life he
spent in study and retirement at Treban, in the country
of Altenburgh, where he died April 5, 1770. He wrote.
1. " Institutions politiques," 1759 — 60, 3 vols. 4to ; 1762^
4 vols. 12mo, the only work from bis pen that retained its
reputation on the continent. Even the empress Cathe-
rine 11, of Russia, condescended to write notes on it
2. " Progres des Allemands dans les belles-lettres," 1752
and 1768, 8vo. 3. ^^Amusemens dramatiques," Leyden^^
1768, 2 vols. 12mo, of no great merit 4. " Lettres fa-?
milieres," 1763, and " Erudition universelle," 1768, 4 vols,
both translated into English by Dr. Hooper. The baron
also conducted for about three years a periodical publica-
tion called " The Hermit," and is by some the reputed
author of the '^ Memoirs of the duchess of Hanover, spouse
to (Jeorge I." which is more generally attributed to baron
Polnitz. *
BIENNE (John), in Latin Benenatus, was a book-
seller and printer at Paris, in the sixteenth century, and
celebrated for the beauty and correctness of his editions.
He became a printer in 1566, and m^arried in that year the
widow of Morel, likewise a Greek and Latin printer, of
distinguished reputation. Bienne by this alliance be*
<:oming possessed of Morel's printing-house, completed
the works which his predecessor had begun, particularly
the Greek Demosthenes of 1570, fcl. ; and published also
various very excellent editions, particularly " Lucretius,'*
by Lambin, 1570, 4to ; " Synesii Hymni," 1570, 8vo ;
and "Theodoretus de providentia," Gr. and Lat. 1569,
8vo» He died Feb. 15, 1 588. It is said he left a daughter
so accomplished in Greek and Hebrevc, as to be able to
conduct the printing of works in these languages.'
I Bk»g. Universelle.^-Saxii Onomastk^n.
^ JilQreri.—Maittaire AnnaU— -Biog. Upiverselle.
253 BIERKANDEft.
BIERKANDER (Claude), an able naturalist, and a
clergyman at Gresbach in Westgothland, was born in 17 SB^
and died in 1795. He published in the Memoirs of the
Academy of Stockholm, of which be was a member, a
great number of papers on insects, which he had made hisi
particular study, and on the transpiration of plants, the
burning of vegetables, the effect of cold on vegetables,^
&C. all in the Swedish language. '
BIFIELD. SeeBYFIELD.
BIGLAND (Ralph), garter principal king at arms, waa
born in 1711, the son of Richard Bigland, of Kendal^ in
Westmoreland, the descendant of a family originally
* seated at Bigland, Lancashire. The subject of this, brief
notice, after going through all the offices in the College of
Arms, and executing also the office of registrar, to which
he was appointed in 1763, became the head of it in 1780y
but enjoyed his elevation a very short time, dying in
James-street, Bedford -row, March 27, 17^4. He was
buried with his parents at Stepney. He was deservedly
esteemed and regretted, as a man of much skill in heraldry
and other branches of antiquities. The great collections
he had made for a history of Gloucestershire were intended
to have been arranged and given by him to the public^
and have since been partly published by his son Richard
Bigland, of Frocester, esq. under the title of ^^ Historical,
monumental, and genealogical collections, relative to the
county of Gloucester," &c. fol. 1792, to which a second
volume will probably be added by Mr. Nichols. *
BIGNE (Gace i>e la), and not de la Vigne, as be is
generally called by writers who have occasion to name him
[for it is thus he gives his own name in his '^ Roman des
Oiseaux^'], was born of a noble family of the diocese of
Bayeux, about 1428. He was chaplain to king John, and
followed that prince into England after the battle of Poic-»
tiers. Being at Rocbefort in 1459, he began a poem on
the chace, entitled ^^ Le Roman des Oiseaux,,^^ which he
finished on his return to France. This he did at the com*
mand of the king for the instruction of his son Philip duke
of Burgundy. The abb£ Goujet attributes this poem to
Gaston de Foix, from its being printed at the end of the
" Miroir de la Chasse" by that prince, but greatly dif^
ferent; from the manuscripts. Gaston's work printed by
* Biog. UniVerMlle. « l^oble^f Coll. of Anns,
EIGNE. 251
Trepperel at Paris, fol. without a date, and again in 1520,
consists of two parts, the first Gaston^s, and the second
by Bigne. Bigne is supposed, from some passages in his
work, to have been alive in 1475. The personages in this
poem, or romance, are allegorical, and dispute which
species of the chace has the pre-eminence, appealing to
the king, who, after having advised with bis counsellors,
wisdom, reason, and truth, (not very usually called in)
sends away the disputants perfectly satisfied. The style is
easy, and the author's quaintness will beagreeable to the
lovers of early poetry. *
BIGNE (Marguerin de la), a priest, of the same «
family with the preceding, doctor of the Sorbonne, and
dean of the church of Mans, was born in 1 546 at Berniefes-
le-»Patry, and studied at the college of Caen. He pub-
lished in 1575 a '^ 3ibliotheca patrum,'' 8 voU. folio, which
he re-published in 1589, 9 vols, being the first that under^
took a work of that kind. I'he most copious edition we have
of it is in 27 vols, folio, Lyons, 1677. There is also one in
16 vols, folio, of 1644, which is much esteemed, as con*
taining the lesser Greek fathers. Another was published
at Cologne in 1694, and Fere Philip de St. Jacques
gave an abridgment of it in 1719, 2 vols. fol. To the
Biblioth. pp. are generally added, '< Index locorum scrip*
turs saorae,'' Genoa, 1707, fol., and the ^' Apparatus of
Nourri,'* Paris, 1703, and 1715, 2 vols. fol. Such is the
completest edition. La Bigne distinguished himself also
by his harangues and his sermons. He gave a collection
of synodal statutes in 1578, 8vo. and an edition of Isidore
of Seville, in 1580, fol. He was a very studious man;
and, having ^ot into some disputes that were referred to
the magistrates of Bayeux, he rather chose to give up his
benefices than his literary pursuits. He retired to Paris,
where it is supposed be died, about 1590. *
BIGNICOURT (Simon de), a counsellor of the pre-
sidial of Rheims, was born there in 1709, and died at
Paris in 1775. He was well versed in ancient and modern
literature. We have by him, 1. " A collection of Latin
and French poems,*' 1767, 12|mo; which are short, and
in an easy and natural style. His epigrams are very much
in the manner of the chevalier de Cailli ; and he has ont
^ Biog. UDirerselle.
^ Diet, Hiit.->JBiof . Vai?.«i*Cbtttfcpie.— 5azii Onomait
2S4 B I G N I C O U R T.
singulalrity in all his poetical productions^ that he has not
one piece, either in Latin or French, that exceeds twenty-
lines. Some of bis countrymen have compared them to
those of Catullus, and several writers in the journals have
extolled them as productions of extraordinary merit. But
M. Bignicourt is heist known for his 3. " Pens^es et reflec-
tions philosophiques," 1755, 12mo. This work, which
was afterwards published under rfie title of " L'homme du
Monde & L'homme de Lettres,'* has, however, its admirers
and its censurers, with respect to the method of writing set
phrases, and giving them as thoughts and maxims. ^
BIGNON (Jerome), a French writer, was born at Paris
Aug. 24,. 1589. His father took the care of his education
upon himself, and taught him the languages, philosophy,
mathematics, civil law, and divinity. Jerome acquired so
much knowledge in a very short time, that at ten years
of age he published his description of the Holy Land,
entitled " Chorographie, ou Description de la Terre-
Sainte," Paris, 1600, 12mo; and. three years after, two
other works, which gained him great reputation in France.
The first was, " Discours de la ville de Rome, principales
antiquitez & singularitez d'icelle," IGOl, 8vo; the other
work is "Traits sommaire de Pelection des papes," 1605,
8vo, in which piece he gives an account of the different
manner of electing the popes formerly. Henry IV. appointed
him page of honour to the dauphin, afterwards Lewis XI IL
He wrote also a treatise on the precedency of the kings of
France, entitled " De Texcellence des rois & du royaume
de France, traitant de lapreseance&des prerogatives des rois
des France par dessus tous les autres, & de causes d'icelles."
This book was written in order to confute what Diego
Valdes, counsellor of the royal chamber of Granada, had
published in favour of the precedency of the kings of Spain,
under the title of " De dignitate reguiA Hispaniae," Gra-
nada, 16*02, fol. This he dedicated to the king, who or**
dered him to continue his researches upon the subject;
but the death of this prince interrupted his design, and
made him leave the court ; whither he was soon recalled
at the solicitation of Mr. le Fevre, preceptor to Lewis
XIIL and continued there till the death of bis friend. la
1613 he published an edition of the Formulae of MarcuU
phus ; and the year following took a journey to Italy,
where Jie received many marks of esteem from Paul V.
1 Diet. Hist.— Biog. UniTerselle.
^j
B I G N O N. iSi
Father Paul likewise being pleased with his conversation^
detained him some time at.Vepice.
Upon his return from his travels, he applied himself to
the practice of the bar with great success. His father pro-
cured for him the post of advocate .general in the grand
council ; which office he discharged with sucb reputation,
that the king nominated him some time after counsellor of
state, and at last advocate general in the parliament. Iti
1641 he resolved to confine himself entirely to his business
in the council of state, and therefore resigned his place of
advocate-general to Mr. Briquet his son-in-law. The year
following he was appointed the king's librarian. His son^
in-law dying jn 1645, he was obliged to resume his post
of advocate- general, in order to preserve it for his son*
He had also a considerable share in the ordinance of the
year 1639; and he discharged with great integrity va-
rious commissions with which he was intrusted at different
times. Queen Anne of Austria, during her regency, sent
for him to council upon the most important occasions. Ho
adjusted the differences between Mr. d'Avaux and Mr.
Servien, plenipotentiaries at Munster; and he had a share,^
with M. de Brienue and d'Emery, in making the treaty of
alliance with the states of Holland in 1649. He was ap^
pointed, in 1651, to regulate the great affair of the suc-
cession of Mantua; and in 1654, to conclude the treaty
with the Hans Towns. Mr. Bignon died, aged 66y on the
7th of April, 1656, of an asthma, with which he was
seized the autumn before. In 1757, the abb6 Perau pub-»
lished Bignon's life, two parts, 12mo. — His grandson,
John Paul Bignon, was librarian to the king, a man of great
erudition, and a writer of great powers of invention, if he
could compose, as we are told he did, four panegyrics on
St Louis, all different, two of which were pronounced the
same day, one at the French academy, and the other at
the academy of inscriptions^ He wrote also " Vie de
Francois Levesque,'' 1684, 12mo; and *' Les Aventures
d'Abdalla, fils d'Hanif.'* 1713, 2 vols. 12mo. often re-
printed. He bad also a hand in the medallic history of the
reign of Louis XIV. and the Journal des Savans. He
warmly patronized Tournefort, who named a plant after
hin;i Bignonia. He died May 14, 1743. ^
^ Gen. Diet.— Moreri.— Dup'm.— PerrauU's Tltfmnnes Illustres. — B»rliet Ja(c-
toeni, & Les £afan» Celebres.— Saxil Osomast . — iik>^. U#iv.
25« BIGOT;:
. BIGOT (Emeric, or Emery), an eminent patron of li-
terature, was born at Rouen Jn 1626, of an ailcient family,
and having no inclination to rise in the offices of magis-
tracy, as many of bis ancestors had done, nor to enter
into the church, be determined to devote his time and
fortune to the study and advancement of polite literature.
His father, dean of the court of aids in Normandy, left
him a library of six thousand volumes, including upwards
of five hundred manuscripts, to which he made so many-
additions, that at his death it was valued at forty thousand
franks; and that it might not be scattered, he entailed it
on his family, with handsome funds for the support and
enlargement of it. It was, however, sold in July 1706^
anid the Catalogue, which was printed, is in considerable
request among bibliographers. During his life-time this
library was the resort of a number of men of letters, wha
held frequent meetings here, in which Bigot presided*
His travels in Holland, England, Germany, and Italy, pro-
cured him the acquaintance and correspondence of most of
the literati of Europe, who frequently consulted him, and
paid great regard to his opinions. His sole passion was to
contribute by bis wealth atid studies to the perfection and
illustration of the best Greek and Latin authors, and he
employed these advantages with the utmost libendity and
modesty. Having discovered in the library at Florence,
the Greek text of the ^^ Life of St. Chrysostom by Palla*
dius, he published it at Paris in 1680^ 4to, with some
other ancient Greek remains, hitherto in manuscript, the
whole accompanied with a Latin translation by Ambrose of
Camaldoli. To this he added St. Cbryso^tom^s epistle to
Cesarius, but it being discovered that this was an attack
on the doctrine of transubstantiation, the licensers refused
its being published, and caused the leaves on which it was
printed to be cut out. A copy of these leaves, however^
having fallen into the hands of Mr. (afterwards archbishop)
Wake, was published by him in his ^< Defence of the Ex*
position of the Doctrine of the Church of England against
the exceptions of M. de Meaux, &c.'' Lond. 1686, 4to.
In this Wake has given a curioys account not only of the
suppression of this letter, but of the controversy to which
it gave rise in archbishop Cranmer^s time. Du Pin says^
that after Iiigot^s death, some of his literary correspondence
wfts published ; but this appears a mistake, if we except a
letter of his written^ in 1672, to the bishop of Trulie
B I G^O T. 2S1
against the abbe de St Cyran's book *' Le Cas Royal/' and
printed at Basil in 1690. Menage arid Heinsius were
among his most intimate friends, and such was bis general
knowledge and communicative disposition, that he was
consulted by every one fond of literary history and anec-
dote. He died Oct. 18, 1689.*
BILFINGER (George Bernard), an eminent German
philosopher and statesman, was born at Camstadt in Wir-
temberg, Jan. 23, 1693 ; his father was a Lutheran mini-
ster. By a singular hereditary constitution in this family,
Bilfinger was born with twelve fingers and eleven toes,
which, in his case, is said to have been remedied by ana-
putation when he was an infant. From his earliest years,
he showed an uncommon capacity for study, joined to a
retired and thinking turn of mind. Happening, when
studying at Tubingen, to learn mathematics in the works
of Wolf, he imbibed likewise a taste for tjie sceptical phi-
losophy of that writer, and for the system of Leibnitz,
which for a time took off his attention from his other stu-
dies. When entered on his theological course, he found
himself disposed to connect it with his new ideas on philo-
sophy, and with that view wrote a treatise, " De Deo,
anima, et mundo,'* which procured him considerable fame^
and was the cause of his being chosen preacher at the
castle of Tubingen, and repeater in the school of divinity.
But fancying Tubingen a theatre too contracted, he ob-
tained of one of his friends a supply of money, in 1719,
which enabled him to go to Halle to study more particu-
larly under Wolf himself. This, however, did not pro-
duce all the good consequences expected. When after
two years he returned to Tubingen, the Wolfian philoso-
phy was no longer in favour, his patrons were cold, his
lessons deserted, himself unable to propagate his new doc-
trines, and his promotion in the church was likely to suffer.
In this unpleasant state he remained about four years,
when, by Wolf's recommendation, he received an invita-
tion from Peter L to accept the professorship of logic and
metaphysics in the new academy at St. Petersburgh. Thi-
ther accordingly he went in 1725, and was received with
great respect, and the academical memoirs which he had
occasion to publish increased his reputation in no small
degree. The academy of sciences of Paris having about,
A Gen. Diet— M«reri.-- BAiltot Jogemeiis des Savras,^— Bio;. tUairanetk,— •
. SmjM OnoiUastiQOn.
Vol. V. S
258 BI^FINGER.
"- . ' .
5 • . ' ♦
that time proposed for solution the famous problem, on
the cause of gravity, Bilfinger carried off the prize, which
, was one thousand crowns. This made his name be known
in every part of Europe, and the duke Charles of Wirtem-
berg having been reminded that he was one of his subjects,
immediately recalled him home. The court of Russia,
after in vain endeavouring to retain him, granted him a
pension of four hundred florins, and two thousand as the
reward of a discovery be had made in the art of fortifica-
tion. He quitted Petersburgh accordingly in 1731, and
'being re-established at Tubingen, revived the reputation •*
of that school not only by his lectures, but by many salu-
tary changes introduced in the theological class, which he
effected without introducing any new opinions. His
greatest reputation, however, rests on his improvements
in natural philosophy and mathematics, and his talents
as an engineer seem to have recommended- him to the
promotion which the duke Clxarles Alexander conferred
upon him. He had held many conversations with Bilfinger
on the subject of fortifications, and wished to attach him
to government by appointing him a privy-councillor in
1735, with unlimited credit For some time be refused a
'situation which he thought himself not qualified to fill, but
when he accepted it, his first care was to acquire the know-
ledge necessary for a member of administration, endea«
trouring to procure the most correct information respecting
the political relations, constitution, and true interests of
the country. By these means, he was enabled very es-
sentially to promote the commerce and agriculture of his
country, and in other respects to improve her natural re-
sources, as well as her political connections, and he i$»
^till remembered as one of the ablest statesmen of Ger^
many. The system of fortification which he invented i&
yet known by his name, and is now the chief means of
' preserving it, as he died unmarried, at Stuttgard, Feb. 1 8,
1750. He is said to have been warm in his friendships,
but somewhat irascible ; his whole time during his latter
years was occupied in his official engagements, except an
hour in the evening, when he received visits, and his only
enjoyment, when he could find leisure, was in the cultiva-
tion of his garden. To his parents he was particularly af-
fectionate, and gratefully rewarded all those who bad
^ assisted him in his dependent state. His principal works
are : 1. ^^ Disputatio de barmoma praestabilita,^^ Tubili^*
B I L F I N G E ». 25^
giit&n> 1721; 4to. 2. <^ De harmonia animi et corporis'
humaoi maximd prsestabiiita commentatio b}rpothetica,'*
Francfort) 1723, 8vo. This was inserted among the pro«^
hibited books by the court of Rome in 1734. 3. f* De
origine et permissione Mali, &c/' ibid. 1724, 8vo. 4. '* Spe^
ciinen doctrins veterum Sinarum moralis et poiiticse/*
ibid. 1724, 8vo. 5. ^^ Dtssertatio historico-catoptrica d^
speculo Archimedis," Tubingen, 1725, 4to. 6. ** Pilu^
cidationes philosophical de Deo, anima, &c." before
mentioned, ibid. 1725, 4to. 7. '^ Bilfingeri et Holmamvi
epistolsB de harmonia praestabilita," 1728, 4to. g. " Dis-
putatio de natura et legibus studii in theologica Thetici,**
ibid. 1731, 4to. 9. " Disputatio de cultu JDei rationali,'*
ibid. 1731. 10. *< Notse breves in Spinosae methodum
explicandi scriptural,** ibid. 1732, 4to. 11. " De myste*
riis Christians fidei generatim spectatis sermo,*- ibid. 1732,
4to. 12. "La Citadelle coup6e,*V Leipsic, 1756, 4to.
13. ^^ Elementa physices," Leipsic, 1742, 8to; besides
many papers in the memoirs of the Petersburgh academy,
of which, as well as of that of Berlin, he was a member. ^
BILGUER (John Ulric de), a surgeon, born at Coire
in Swisserland, in 1720, studied at Strasburgh and Paris,
and afterwards served in the Prussian army, and became
surgeon -general. He received a doctor's degree at Halle
ih 1761, and was admitted a member of various learned
societies ; and to these honours the emperor of Germany
added titles of nobility, of which, however, Bilguer Aever
made any use. His fame abroad, as well as in this coun*
try, principally rests on his famous inaugural thesis, en-
titled, ** Dissertatio inauguralis medicorchirurgica de mem^
)>rorum Amputatione rarissime administrandaaut quasi.abro*
ganda,*' Berlin, 1761,4to. This Tissot translated into French^
and enriched it with notes, under the title ** Dissertation sur
rinutiUt6 de P Amputation,'* Paris, 176.4, 12mo; from the
Latin itwas translated into English, 1761. The author's ob-
ject is to prove Jiow very seldom amputation can be necessary,
particularly in the case of gun-shot wounds received in battle.
^he first able answer to this mistaken effort of humuanity was
by M.Martiniere, principal surgeon to the, French king; our
eminent surgeon Pott has likewise shewn its danger; but
in 1780 Bilguer's doctrine found a supporter in Dr. Kirk-
bad of Ediphurgb, in his ^^ Thoughts oq Amputation.*'
S 2
ieo B I L G tJ E R.
Bilgtfer published also, in German, " Instructions for the
practice of Surgery in army-hospitals,*' Leipsic, 1763;
•' Advice to Hypochondriacs," '&c. He died in 1796.'
BILLAUT (Adam), known under the nameof Maitrb
Adam, a joiner at Nevers, about the close of the reign of
Louis XIII. and ^the beginning of that of Louis XIV. was
called by the poets of his time Le Virgile au rabot He
made verses amidst his tools and his bottles. Cardinal
Richelieu and the duke of Orleans settled pensions on him,
and Corneille was among his panegyrists. His ** Chevilles,'*
1644, 4to; his " Villebrequin," 1663; his « Rabot,'' m
12mo, &c. had a great run. Among a considerable num-
ber of dull frivolities we meet with some happy lines. He
died in 1662 at Nevers, which he never could be brought
to quit for a lodging at Versailles. He had a just notion of
greatness, and was capable of feeling and inspiring the
charms of friendship. An epicurean without libertinism,
and a stoic without supersition, he so associated these two
sects as to have it said, that if Epicurus and Zeno had
lived in his time, he would have brought them to drink
together. He stuck to his mediocrity in order to preserve
his happiness. The poets his contemporaries were his
friends, and not envious of his fame. Mainard says, that
the muses ought never to be^ seated but on tabourets ma^
by the hand of this poetical joiner. St. Amand proved that
he understood the art of poetry as well as that of making
boxes. The duke de St. Aignan tells him, in some very
agreeable lines, that, by his verses and his name, he is the
first of men. Such praises were probably offered in ridi-
cule; but Billaiit knew how to make the most of his friends,
And is said to have tried the sincerity of their friendship
with very little ceremony. A new edition of his works was
published in 1806, 12mo, Paris, and the year before a
comedy was acted on the Paris stage, with some success,
called '^ Chevilles de Maitre Adara.^' Two poetical trades-
men, in his time, endeavoured to rival him, but without
success, RagQeneau, a pastry-cook, and Reault, a lock-
smith. Each addressed a sonnet to him ; that of the pastry-
cook concludes with a point quite in character :
" Tu soufiriras pourtant que je me flatte un pea :
Avecque plus de hruti tu travaiUes sans doute^
Mois pour moi je travaille avecque plus de /tfu.** •
I Biogi VhiTertellt.— Month. Ker. toll. XXXI. XXXVIII. snd Ulk
• G«ii. Diet— Diet, Hilt.— MoKri.— Biog. Uwt.
BILLBER& Sffil
BILLBERG (John), a Swedish astrononQer^ was bora*
about the middle of the seventeenth century* He becaoie
professor of mathematics at Upsal in 1679, bat his zeal for
the Cartesian system made him be considered as a dan-
gerous innovator, and he might have been a serious sufferer
from the prejudices raised against him, if he had not met
with a kind protector in Charles XL This prince having
travelled to Torneo, was so struck with the phenomena of
the sun at the spring solstice, that be sent Billberg and
Spola to make observations on it, in the frontiers of Lap-
land, and their observations were coiifirmed by those of the
French mathematicians .^nt thither by Louis XV. Under
king Charles's protection, Billberg received considerable
promotion, and having studied divinity, was at last made
bishop of StrengneSk He died in 1717, leaving, 1« ^' Trac^
tatus de Cometis," Stockholm, 1682. H, *^ Elementa Geo>
metrices,'' Upsal, 16b7. 3. '^ Tractatus de refiactione so*
lis inoccidui," Stockholm, 1696. 4. << Traotatus de refor««
matione Calendarii Juliani et Gregoriani^** Hto^kholm;,1699,
and many other philosophical and theological dissertatioas.^
BILLT, or BILLY (James de), was bom at Guise in
Picardy, of which place his father was: governor, in 1535^
and died at Paris at the house of Genebrard his friend,
^ the 25th x)f December 1 58 1. He presided over the abbey
of St. Michel en PLerm, which John bis brother bad ceded
to him in order to become a Carthusian monk. There are
of his several pieces both in verse and prose ; and especially
.translations of the Greek fathers into Latin. The most
esteemed of them are, those of St. Gregory of Nazianzea^
of St. Isidore of Pelusium, and of St John Damascenus*
Few of the learned have been more masters^ of the GredL
tongue. He distinguished himself in other (ieptrtments of
literature. He composed several pieces of 'French poetry,
1576, in Svo, and published learned ^' Observatioues sa*
crse,^' 1585, in folio. His life was written ia l^atin by
Cbatard, I^ris, 1582, in 4to. It is also found at the end
of the works of St. Gregory Nazianzeaus^ of the edition
of 1583.*
BILL! (Jacques de), a Jesuit, who was bom at Com*
piegne in 1602, and died at Dijon in 1679, aged seventy^-
seven ; published a great number of mathematical ivorks^
■ ' • '
* Biog. UniTewelle.
\
asa B I L L I. ^
Qf wfakih the '^ Opas aslrcmoimcony'* Paris, 1661, in Cto,
is tbie most known. ^
. BILLINGSLEY (Sir Henry), an excellent mathema-
tician, and lordrmayorof London in the reign of queen
Elizabeth^ was son to Roger Billingsley of Canterbury. He
spent near three years in his studies at the university of Ox-
ford, during which time he contracted an acquaintance with
an eminent matbemaitioian, whose name was Whitehead, and
who had been an Augustin friar at Oxford, but Billingsley
being removed from the university, and bound apprentice
to an haberdasher in London, he afterwards raised himself
80 considerable a fortune by trade^ that he was successively
chosen sheriff, alderman, one of the commissioners of the
customs for the port of London, and at last lord mayor of
^at city in 1597, and received the honour of knighthood.
He made a great progress in the mathematics, by the as<-
distance of his fridnd Mr. Whitehead, who being left desti-
tute upon the dissblution of the monasteries in the reign of
king Henrj.rVUL' yvas received by Mr. Billingsley into his
family, and infedtitakied by him in his old age in his house
at London 4 and when he died, he gave our author all the
inathematical' observations, which be had made and col-
lectedj .with his notes upon Euclid^s Elements, which he
had drawn upai&d digested with prodigious pains.' He was
one of file original society of antiquaries. Sir Henry Billings-
ley died very much advanced in years, Nov. 22, 1606, and
was interred in: the church of St. Catherine Coleman, Lon*»
don. H^ translatied the Elemenu of Euclid into English^
to which he added a great number of explanations, ex«
amples, scholia," annotations, and inventions, collected from
tbe best mathematicians both of the former times, and
those in vfhicb: he lived, public^ed under the title of ^' The
^Elements of :6eometry of the most antient philosopher
Euclid, of Megara, faithfully. translated* hito the Engli}sh
tongue, i Whereunto are added certain scholia, annota-
tions," ' &c. Ltmdon, 1 570, fol. Dr. John Dee prefixed to
this work a long pre&ce, full of variety of learning relating
to the mathematics. '
» >BlLSON (Thomas), a learned writer, and bishop, in
die*endof the sixteenth ^nd beginning of the seventeentli
pentury, was bom. in the city of Winchester, being the soa
of ]tlarman Bilson, the same probably who was fellow of
' t M«f<ri, • Wood's Athen^i vol. I.«<-Geti, Z)ict.«-ArGhtMlogia, voV {. 2Q(,
B I L S ON. 26S
A
Biferton-college in 1536, and derived his descent by. his
grandmother, or great-grandmother, from the duke of Ba^^'
yaria* He was educated in Winchester school; and in
1.565^ admitted perpetual fellow of New-college, after he
bad served two yeai*s of probation. October 10, 1566, he
took his degree of bachelor, and April 25, 1570, that of
master of arts ; that of bachelor of divinity, June 24, 1579;
and the degree of doctor of divinity on the 24th of Ja-
nuary 1580. In his younger years, he was a great lover
of, and extremely studious in, poetry, philosophy, and
physic. But when he entered into holy orders, and ap* .
plied himself to tbe study tof divinity, which his genius
chiefly led him to, he became a most solid and constant
preacher, and one of the most accomplished scholars of
bis time. The first preferment be had was that of master
of Winchester-school ; be was then made prebendary of
Winchester, and afterwards warden of tbe college there.
To this college he did a very important service, about the
year 1584, by preserving thelrevenues of it when they were
in danger of being swallowed up by a notorious forgery, ot
wbichy however, we have only an obscure account. In
1585, he published his book of ^^ The true difference
betweehe Christian Subjection and unchristian Rebellion,*^
and dedicated it to queen Elizabeth ; a work, which, al^
though it might answer her immediate purpose, was of
fetal tendency to Charles I. few books being more fre«
queutly quoted by the mal-contents to justify their resist-
ance to that prince. In 1593, he published a very able
defence of episcopacy, entitled, " The perpetuall Govern-
ment of Christes Church: wherein are handled, the fa-
therly, superioritie which God first established in the pa-
triarkes for the guiding of his Church, and after continued
In the tribe of Levi and the Prophetes : and lastlie con-
firmed in the New Testament to the apostles and their
successors : as also the points in question at this day,
touching the Jewish Synedrion : the true kingdome of
Christ: the Apostles* commission: the laie presbyterie:
the distinction of bishops from presbyters, and their sue?
cession from the apostles times and hands : the calling and
moderating of provinciall synods by primates and metro-
politanes : the allotting of dioceses, and the popular elect-
ing of «uch as must feede and watch the flock : and divers
^other points concerning the pastoral regiment of the h6us6
pf Cod." On the 20th of April^ 1596, he Wfts elected^
2«4 . B I L S O N.
confirmed June the 11th, and the 13th of the same month
consecrated bishop of Worcester ; and translated in May
following to the bishopric of Winchester, and made a
privy-courisellor. In 1599,' he published "The effect of
certaine Sermons touching the full Redemption of Mankind
by thexleath and bloud of Christ Jesus; wherein,*" besides
the nierite of Christ's suffering, the manner of his offer-
ing, the power of his death, the comfort of his crosse, the
glorie of his resurrection, are handled, what paines Christ
suffered in his soule on the crosse : together with the
place and purpose of his descent to hel after death ;" &c.
Lond. 4to, These serqions being preached at Paul's Cross
in Lent 1597, by the encouragement of archbishop Whit-
gift, greatly alarmed most of the Puritans, because they
contradicted some of their tenets, but they are not now
thought consonant to the articles of the church of Eng-
land. The Puritans, however, uniting their forces, and
ifiaking their observations, sent them to Henry Jacob, a
learned puritan, who published them under his Own name.
The queen being at Famham-castle, and, to use the bi-
shop's words, " taking knowledge of the things questioned
between him and his opponents, directly commianded him
neither to desert the doctrine, nor to let the calling which
he bore in the church of God, to be trampled under foot
by such unquiet refusers of trueth and authoritie." Upon
^this royal command, he wrote a learned treatise, chiefly
delivered in sermons, which was pu*blished in 1604, under
the title of " The survey^of Christ's sufferings for Man's
Bedemption : and of his descent to hades or hel for our
cleliverance," Lond. fol. He also preached the sermon at
Westminster before king James I. and his queen, at their
coronation on St. Jameses day, July 28, 1603, from Rom.
xiii. 1. London, 1603, 8vo. In January 1603-4, he was
one of the speakers and managers at the Hamipton-Court
conference, in which he spoke much, and, according to
Mr. Fuller, most learnedly, and, in general, was one of
the chief maintainors and supports of the church of Eng-
land. The care of revising, and putting the last hand to,
the new translation of thq English Bible in king James Ist^s
reign, was committed to our author, and to Dr. Miles
Smith, afterwards bishop of Gloucester. His last public
^ct, recorded in history, was the being one of the dele-
fates that pronounced and signed the sentence pf divorce
etween Aobert PevereuX| earl of £sseX| and the lady
B I l! S O N. 265
* ' • •
Frances Hovmrd, in the year 1613: and H^c,son being'
knighted soon after upon this very account, as ^as ima-
gined, the world was so malicious as to give him the title,
of sir Nullity Bilson. This learned bishop, aftefr having
gone through many employments, departed this life oit
the 18th of June, 1616, and was buried in Westniihster-
abbey, near the entrance into St* Edmund*s chapel, oil the
south side of the monument of king Richard II. His cha-
racter is represented to the utmost advantage by several
persons. Sir Anthony Weldon calls him " an excellent ci-
vilian, and a very great schoUer :" Fuller, ** a deep and
profound scholar, excellently well read in the fathers :'*
Bishop Godwin, ** a very grave ndan ; and how great a di-
vine (adds he), if any one knows not, let him consult his
learned v^ritings :'* Sir John Harrington, ** I find but foure
lines (in bishop Godwin's book) concerning him ; and if £
should give him his due, in proportion to the rest, I should
spend foure leaves. Not that I need make him better
known, being one of the most eminent of his ranck, and a
man that carried prelature in his very aspect; His rising
was meerly by his learning, as true prelates should rise.
Smt non nwdo labe malt sed stcspicione carentes,' not onely
fi-ee from the spot, but from the speech of corruption.**
He wrote in a more elegant style, and in fuller and better-
turnted periods, than was usual in the times wherein he lived.
It is related of our prelate, that once, when he was preach?
ing a sermon at St. Paul's Cross, a sudden panic, occa-
sioned by the folly ar caprice of one of the audience,
seized the multitude there assenpbled, who thought that
the church was falling on their heads. The good bishop,
who sympathized with the people more from pity than
from fear, after a sufficient pause, reassumed and Went
through his sermon with great composure. *
BINGHAM (Joseph), the writer of several tracts on
theological subjects, and author of that laborious perform-
ance, " Otigines ecclesiasticae, or the Antiquities of the
Christian church," was the son of Mr. Francis Bingham, a
respectable inhabitant of Wakefield in Yorkshire, wherd
our author was born in September, 1668. He learned the
first rudiments of grammar at a school in the same town,
and on the 26th of May 1684, was admitted a member of
1 Gen. pict.— Bion;. BriU— ^itli. Ox. vol. I. — Harrington's Brief View, p« 71*
— Grani^er.
966
BINGHAM.
University college in Oxford. There he applied with per-,
severing industry to those studies which are generally con-
sidered as most laborious. Though he by no means neg-
lected the writers of Greece or Rome, yet he employed
most of his time in studying the writings of the fathers.
How earnestly he devoted himself to these abstruse in*
quiries, he had an early opportunity of giving an honour-
able testimony, which will presently be mentioned more
at large. He took the degree of B. A. in 1688, and on the
1st of July 1689 was elected fellow of the above-men-
tioned college. His election to this fellowship was attended
with some flattering marks of honour and distinction*. On
the 23d of June, 1691, he was created M. A. about four
years after which a circumstance occurred which eventually
occasioned him to leave the university. Being called on
to preach before that learned body, he would not let slip
the opportunity it gave him of evincing publicly his iuti- .
mate acquaintance with the opinions and doctrines of the
fathers, and at the same time.of displaying ^e zeal with
which he was resolved to defend their tenets concerning
the Trinity, in opposition to the attacks of men in much
more conspicuous stations than himself. Having heard
what he conceived to be a very erroneous statement of
that subject delivered by a leading man from the pulpit
at St. Mary's, he thought it his duty on this occasion to
point out to his hearers what the fathers had asserted to he
the ecclesiastical notion of the term person. In pursuance
of this determination he delivered a very long discourse on
the 28th of October, 1695, from the famous words of the
apostle, ^' There are three that bear record in heaven,
^&c.'' This sermon, though containing nothing more than
an elaborate defence of the term person, in opposition to
the explanation which he had lately heard, drew a heavy
pensure on the preacher from the ruling members of the
university, charging him with having asserted doctrines
false, impious, and heretical, contrary to those of the ca-
* In that f ituation lie paid particu-
lar attention to the instruction of a
joung nan whom he had brought from
Wakefieldt and introduced at Univer-
aity college ; and who, toon after Mr.
'gingham's election to a fellowihip,
was, by his means, elected scholar of
the same college. This was Mr. John
Totter, who afterwards became arch-
bishop of Caalerbary. Mr. Potter's
tutor happening to die when he was no
more than two years standing in the
untTersity, Mr. Bingham took his
young friend and townsman under his
wing; and to his having given some
general dtrectioni to hia ttudies^ simi-
lar to*hb own, it \% reasonable to sup-
pose that we owe that excellent bopk^
** Pivtter on Chureb-govemment.'*
tholic chufjcb.; This censure was fpllowed by other cba rgear
in the public prints^ viz.. tbgise of Amnimiy Tritbeism , and
liie bere^y of Valentious G^nitilis. These matters ran. ao
high, that be fpund himself under the necessity of resign-
iflg bis fellowfbipi and of. withdrawing .from the univer*
sity; the former of which took place on the 23dofNo<«
vem^pr. l6^5. How wholly, unmerited these accusations
were,, pot only appears from tbe sermon itself, no.w in the
possession of the writer of this article, but also from the
whole tenor of bis life and writings, constantly shewing,
himself in both a zealous defender of what is called the
orthodox notion of the Trinity. However, that such a.cen*
sure was passed, is most certain, as well from domestic tra*
ditiou, as from the mention which is repeatedly made of
it in the manuscript papers of our author ; but we are as-
sured that no truces thereof are nqw to be found in the
, books of the university.
About this time our author was presented, without any
solicitation on his part, by the famous Dr. Radcliffe, to the
rectory of Headbourne«Wor^y, a living valued at that-
time at about .one hundred pounds a year; situated near
Winchester. Within a few months after his settling in this
country, being called oa tq preach at a visitation held iu
the cathedral of Winchester, On the 12th of May, 1696^
he seized that opportunity of pursuing the subject which
be had begun at Oxford, and of exculpating himself from
those, charges which. had been brought against him. How
little. oui; divine had desierved those imputations in the opi*»
nion of his brethren, before wbpm he. preached, may in
some d^ree be judged from bis having beep, at no greater
distance of time than the 16th of September, 1697, again
appointed . to. preach before them on a similar occasion*
£(e then brought tp a conclusion wbat he wished faither to
say. on that sut^ect, his manner of treating which had ex*
posed him t;» the censure of the. university : and having
done so, he prepared to commit his three* sermons to the
press. Why this intention was not fulfilled cannot be ga-
thered froQpi any of his papers, though there exists among
them a long preface to the sero^ou preached at Oxford^
explaining and justifying his, motives for having preached
and published it; and a second preface annexed to the
ifirst of those preached at Winton, in which be dedicates
the two visitation sermons to the clergy of the deanery be-
fore wbom th^y were delivered i wherein he tells them^
2M BINGRA
that be bas been induced to da so not only from the^sut^
jecl contained in them being sncb as wa» tbeir immediate
concern^ but also that be might have an opportunity of
giving a more full account of the motives and ciroam-
stances which bad occasioned hii^ to write or to publish
ibem. t
The preface gives a very long and learned account of
nrhat Mr. Bingham bad in bis sermons asserted concerning
the opinions of the fathers. To follow or repeat bis ob^
aervations on this subject would lead us into matter too
prolix for an article of biography.
About six or seven years after our author bad taken up
bis residence at Worthy, he married Dorothea, one of the
daughters of the rev. Richard Pococke, at that time rector
of Colmer in Hampshire. By this lady, before be had
any other preferment than the small living above-men-
tioned, he became the father of ten children ; yet neither*
did he suffer the rapid increase of his family, nor the con-
sequent narrowness of his finances, to depress bis spirits,
or impede the progress of his studies. On the contrary,
be appears to have applied to his literary pursuits with a
clofiier and more persevering industry; and by those means,
in the course of what cannot be considered as a long life,
be was enabled to complete in this country retirement,
besides several other single volumes, a most learned and
laborious work, closely printed in ten volumes in octavo,
under the title of ^* Origines Ecclesiasticie, or the Anti-
quities of the Christian Cbtrrcb,*' the first volume of which
he published in 17Q^. He committed the last volume to
the press in 1722. Of the various difiicnittes with which
our author liad to contend in the prosecution of his labours,
he frequently speaks in such pointed terms as cannot but
excite both our sympathy and regret. He tells us that he
had to- struggle with an infirm and sickly constitution, and
constantly laboured under the greatest disadvantages, for
want of many necessary books, which he had no oppor-
tunity to see, and no ability to purchase. At the same
time he does not omit to express his gratitude to Provi-
dence, which had so placed him, that he could have re->
course to a very excellent library, that of the cathedral
ehurch of Winchester, left by bishop Morley ; though, even
that was deficient in many works to which he had occasion
to refer ; and yet when we turn to the Index auctorum at
the end of his work, we shall perhaps be astonished at die
B I l^G H A M. £69
ttat number of books which he appears to have consulted;
But to such straits was be driven for want of books, that
be frequently procured imperfect copies at a cheap rate,
and then employed a part of that time, of wbkh so small
a portion was albtted him, and which therefore could so
ill be spared, in the tedious task of transcribing the defi*
cient pages; instances of which are still in being, and
terve as memorials of his indefatigable industry on all oc«
casions.
In 1712, sir Jonathan Trelawny, at that time bishop of
Winchester, was pleased to collate our learned divine to
the rectory of Havant, near Portsmouth, as a reward for
his diligence ; which preferment, together with the sums
he was daily receiving from the sale of his works, seemed
in some measure to have removed the narrowness of his
circumstances, and to promise a comfortable maintenance
for his numerous family ; but this pleasing prospect shortly
disappeared : he lost almost or. quite the whole of bis
hardly earned gains in 1720, by the bursting of the well--
known Sooth Sea bubble* Yet such was the tranquillity
of his disposition, that he continued his studies without
intermission ahnost to the very end of his life ; for though
but a few months elapsed between the publication of the
last volume of Origines and his death, yet that short time
was employed in preparing materials for other laborious
works, and in making preparations for a new edition of
Origines. With this view he inserted many manuscript
observations, in a set of the Antiquities which he preserved
for his own use, and which are now in the possession of
the furnisher of this article. But from this and all other
employments he was prevented by death. *His coustitu-
tion, which was by nature extremely weak and delicate,
could not be otluerwise than much impaired by so unre-
mitted a course of laborious studies, in a life wholly se-
dentary and recluse, which brought on at an early period
. all the symptoms and infirmities of a very advanced age.
The approach of his dissolution being clearly visible both
to himself and friends, it was settled between the dien
bishop of Winchester, Dr. Trimnell, and himself, that he
should resign Havant to enable his lordship to appoint
some friend of the family to hold it, till his eldest son, then
about 20 years of age, could be collated to it. As this
however was not carried into eKe<iution, it is probable tbat
his death caj{»e oa njiore hastily itfek^n k^d been expected.
270 B I N G H* A M.
and prevented Dr. Trimuell from giving him what he fally
intended, the first vacant prebend in Winchester.
After a life thus spent in laborious pursuits, Mr. Bing-
ham died on the 17th of August, 1723, it may truly be
said of old age, though he was then only in his 55th year.
His body was buried in the church-yard of Headbourne
Worthy ; but, as he frequently expressed a dislike to mo-^
numents and pompous inscriptions, nothing of that sort
was erected to his memory.
At the time of his decease only six of his ten children,
two sons and four daughters, were living ; these, with their
widowed mother, were left in very contracted circum-
stances. Mrs. Bingham was therefore induced to sell the
copy-right of her late husband's writings to the booksellers,
who immediately republished the whole of his works in two
volumes in folio, without making any alterations whatso<>
ever ; and though the eldest son undertook the office of
'Correcting the press, he did not insert any of the manu-*
-script additions which bis father had prepared ; as he was
then* so very young, that he probably bad not had an op-
portunity of examining his father's books and papers suf-^
ficiendy to discover that any such preparations for a new
-edition had been made* Of the four daughters, one mar-
ried a gentleman of Hampshire ; the other three died siu'-
gle. The second son will be mentioned in the succeeding
anicle. The widow died in a very advanced age, in bishop
Warner's college for clergymen's widows, at Bromley, in
Kent, in 1755. .
Of such importance have the works of this eminent wri-
ter been esteemed in foreign countries, that they have aH
-been correctly translated into Latin by Grichow, a diving
df Halle in Germany, 11 vols. 4to, 1724 — 38, and were
reprinted in 1751 — 61. But he did not live to receive
-this flattering mark of approbation, for he died in 172$.
iHere it may not be amiss to observe how frequently it oc^
curs that the merits of an eminent ancestor derive honour
<and emolument on their posterity. It is presumed that
the character of the person whose life we have been writi-
'ing, was the means of procuring the living of Havant fat
bis eldest son, and the late learned and excellent bishop
. of London, Dr. Lowth, expressly assigns that reason for
bestowing a comfortable living on bis grand-son. . "I vene^
-rate (says he in a letter which convej^d the presentation)
.the memory of your excellent grandfather, my father's par*-
BINGHAM. 271
ticular and most intimate friend. He wa^ not rewarded
a$ he ought to have hisen ; I therefore give you this living
as a small recompense for his great and inestimable merits.'*
We shall conclude this article by giving the general cha-
racter of this divine : As a writer his learning was extensive
and acute ; his style zealous and persuasive, and his ap-
plication uncommonly persevering. His^ temper, on ail
common and indifferent occasions, was mild and benevo-
lent ; and to these he united great zeal in the cause in
which he was engaged. Though his passions were so
wholly subject to the guidance of religion and virtue, that
no worldly losses were sufficient to discompose him, yet
whenever he believed the important interests of the church
to be in danger, he was always eager to step forth in its
defence.
Besides what are mentioned above, Mr. Bingham wrote,
1. " The French church's apology for the church of Eng-
land ; or the objections of dissenters against the articles,
homilies, liturgy, and canons of the English church, con-
sidered, and answered upon the principles of the reformed
church of France. A work chieSy extracted out of the
authentic acts and decrees of the French national synods,
and the most approved writers* of that church,'^ 1706, 8vo.
2. ^' Scholastical history of the practice of the church in
'reference to the administration of Baptism by Laymen, part
I." 1712, 8vo. 3. ^' A. scholastical history of Lay-baptism^
part II. with some considerations on Dr. Brett's answer to
the -first part," 8vo. To which is prefixed. The state of
the present controversy : and at the end is an Appendix,
containing some remarks on the author of the second part
of Lay-baptism invalid. 4. " A discourse concerning the
Mercy of God to Penitent Sinners : intended for the use of
persons troubled in mind ; being a sermon on Psalm ciii.
13." Printed singly at first, and reprinted among the
'rest of his works, in 2 vols, folio, 1725.^
BINGHAM (Joseph), the second son of the eminent
writer before mentioned, was the last of his numerous
family, and consequently extremely young at the time of
his father's death. Though he died in very early life, y^t
9
^ Biog. Brit a very meagre article.— -Nichols'i Bowyer» vol. I. and from ma-
ferial* communicated by the rer. Richard Bingham, B. A. minister of Oosport
'cliapel, Hanti, and late fellow of New college, Oxford, great grandson of
thii learned writer.
^72 BINGHAM.
*
dwrmg the short period of bis existence, he pursued bis
j»tudi<es with such unremitting perseverance, and gave such
early prpofis of genius and sound understanding, «nd so
strongly evinced his determination to tread in the foot-
steps of his father, as fully entitle him to a few lines from
the pen of the biographer. This young man received his
education on the foundation at the Charter-house, from
wheuce he was at the usual age removed to Corpus college
in Oxford. In the university he was a most exemplary and
persevering student, and was preparing to give public
proofs of his diligence, having actually printed every part,
except the title-page and preface, of a very valuable edi-
tion of the Theban story, which was completed and pub-
lished after his death by, a gentleman, into whose hands his
papers had fallen, as a security for a sum of money which
t^ad been borrowed to facilitate the publication. Whilst
lie was thus usefully employed, and just as he was on the
point of being ordained, with every prospect of promotion
from the patronage of archbishop Potter, he was suddenly
brought to his grave, at the immature age of 22, by an ilU
Tiess wholly occasioned by too sedentary a life, and too
close an application to his studies. He lies buried in the
cloisters of Corpus college, without either monument, in-
scription, or stone Erected to his memory, though it might
most truly be said of him, that he fell a martyr to applica-
tion, industry, and learning. *
BINGHAM (George), the sixth son of Richard Bing-
ham, esq. and Philadelphia, daughter and heir of John Po-
tinger, esq. by Philadelphia, daughter of sir Johu Erule,
hart, chancellor of the exchequer, was born, in 171 5, at
Melcomb Bingham, in the county of Dorset, where that
antient and respected family have resided for many cen-
turies.
Patronized by Mr. Potinger, his grandfather, who very
early discovered his promising talents and amiable disposi*
tion, he was at 12 years of age sent to the^ing^s college
at Westminster ; and hy his unremitting industry so im-
proved his abilities, that be vras elected, before he had
reached his 1 7th year, student of Christ-church in Oxford.
Being here valued on account of his literary attainments,
and justly beloved for the urBanity of his manners, he was,
within four years from his matriculation* elected fellow bf
1 From the same iaformation.
BINGHAM. S73
All Souls^ college, where be had an opportunity of cialti-
Tating a sincere and unalterable friendship with many gen-
tlemen of the most distinguished reputation ; and it has
been justly remarked to his honour and credit, that he never
made an acquaintance by whom he was not highly respect-
edf or formed an intimacy that was not permanent. The
late excellent judge, sir William Blackstone, who was his
friend and contemporary, and whom he not a little assisted
in his << Stemmata Chicheliana,'' well knew his worth, and
kept up a correspondence with him, with a sincerity and
fervour unaltered and undimTnished, to the last hour of hi&
life. In 1745-6, when party ran high, and the Pretender
had made incursions into England, he served the office of
proctor in the university, and conducted himself in those
troublesome times with a proper spirit and resolution, as
became an upright magistrate and a good man. Being a
few years after, on the death of the rev. Christopher Pitt,
the excellent translator of Virgil's ^neid, presented by
George Pitt, esq. (the late lord Rivers) to the rectory d(
Pimpern, Dorset, he married a lady to whom he had been
some time engaged, by whom he had thr^ee children, a
daughter and two sons ; but his wife, whom he doated on
with the tenderest affection, was, after the death of her
youngest child, seized with an illness which terminated in
a dropsy, and brought her to the grave in the 36th year of ^
her age. She was buried, in 1756, in the chancel of the
parish-church of Pimpern.
Being now a widower, he divided his time betweeh
theological studies and the education of his children ; but
having been presented by sir Gerard Napier to the living
of More Critchil, he changed his residence from Pimpern
to his new preferment, that he might by absence alleviate
the severe stroke he had sustained, and might enjoy the
acquaintance and friendship of his hospitable and worthy
patron. Hh patron did not long survive, nor was he al-
lotted to continue long in his new-chosen habitation ; for
being seised with a violent ague and fever, from \i^ich he
with the greatest difficulty recovered by the skill of his
physician and strength of his constitution, he was obliged
again to return to the rectory at Pimpern.
His two sons were now entered on the foundation at the
college near Winchester, and had both of them made such-
rapid progress in their education, that they gave him every
possible s^^tisfaction. The eldest was the senior scholar
Vol. V. T
??4 BINGHAM.
at 16 years of age, and was certain of succeeding at tbe
next election to that goal of Wiccamical hope, a fellowship
of New college, in Oxford ; when, a few days prior to that
ttra, as be was bathing in the navigable river Itchin, in a
place well known to every Winchester boy by thenam^ of
77ie Poty he was seized with a cranap within two yards of
the shore, in the presence of more than 100 expert swim-^
jners, and his unfortunate younger brother, who was close
to him at the moment, and sutik beneath the water never
to appear again. His lifeless body was not found till half
an hour had expired; All arts to re-animate him were tried
in Vain ; and he was buried a few days after in the cloisters
ef Winchester college, amidst the tears of his afflictedxrodi-
panions.
Mr. Bingham was inconsolable at this event ; and Md
most intimate friends observed, that it cast a gloom over
his countenance during the remainder of his long life ; but
60 silent is real sorrow, that he was never heard to men-
tion his loss, nor was any account of it found among his
papers, except an insertion in a Family Bible.
When the author of the Antiquities of the County of
Dorset first offered his labours to the public, Mr. Binghana,
who was not ignorant how much care and study had been
bestowed in collecting those valuable materials, gave him
every assistance in his power. By examining with inde-
fatigable attention the numerous Roman tumuli and cause-
ways that abound in that country, and by a knowledge of
many circumstances that had escaped the observation
of others, he enriched the collection with a treasure of
many curious accounts, and made no small addition to the
numerous list of subscribers, by soliciting his friends in
behalf of Mr. Hutchins. The author expressed his ac-
knowledgments in niany private letters ; but Mr. Bingham
-would never permit him to make known from what hand he
received his communications, nor is the name of G. B. once
mentioned in the work, except after the marvellous ac-
count of Sadler^s prophecy, attested by Cuthbert Bound ;
at the end of the first volume it is added, '^ this narrative
.was communicated by the rev. G. Bingham, of Pimpern.''
The original paper, signed by C. Bound, which has been
long preserved in the family, is now in the possession of
the rev. P. Bingham, as aire also many observations, cor-
rections, . et udditumentd, never yet publijsbed.
Mr. Bingham died at Pimpern, beloved and regretted^
BINGHAM. , 275
Oct 11) 1800, aged eighty *five» and was buried in the
cbancei of Pimpem charch, where on a marble monument
IS engraved a classical and characteristic epitaph by his
son, the rev. Peregrine Bingham, rector of Radclive, Bucks^
- As an author, Mr. Bingham acquired a considerable
share of fame in his life-time by bis *^ Vindication of the
Poctrine and Liturgy pf the Church of England/' occa-
sioned by Mr. Theophiluis Lindsay's Apology for quitting
his living, 1774, 8vo ; and his essay on the ^^ Millenium,^'
entitled *^ T« x«?^ ^ >" " Dissertationes Apocalyptlcse ;!*
" Paul at Athens," an essay ; a " Commentary on Solo*
mon's Song," and some sermons, all which were published
by his son above-mentioned in 2 vols. 1804,. 8vo, with Me-«
moirs of the author, in which it is said, that Mr. Bingham
Ignited the profoundest erudition with the. most consum-
mate piety,, and had a perfect knowledge of the Hebrew
tongue, an intimate acquaintance with the earliest fathers
of the church, .and an accurate' skill in classic literature^
and in history ancient and modern, sacred and profane*
His opinions, however, on some points, differed much
from those of his brethren ; particularly in contending
that Mahomet and his religion are the sole objects of the
prophecies of Daniel and St. John, which ^o many able di-
vines have uniformly applied to papal Rome. Upon this
account, when the Warburtonian lecture was offered him
in 1781, he declined preaching it, because the object of the
founder was to prove the truth of Christianity from the
completion of the prophecies which relate to the Christian
church, especially the apostacy of papal Rome. Mr. Bing-
ham conceived that the church of Rome is a part, though a
corrupt part, of the Christian church, and wnich, agreeing
with us in fundamentals, may be still capable of reforma-
tion. In his sentiments on the Millenium, he restricts that
9taie to the enj.oyment of uninterrupted peace by the
church for a determined time, and therefore neither ad-
.jnits that the Millenium is already past, which Hammond
and a few ^morethought, nor that it will be, what the ma-
jority of writers have described, the literal reigning of
the saints on earth, with Christ, for a thousand years. ^
BINI (Severin), in Latin BiNius, was born at Randel-
raidt| in the country of Juliers, and became canon and
professor of divinity at Cologn, where he died in 1641.
> LH^ prefixed to hit Worki.— Gent. Maf* 1809» 1804.
T 2
276 B I N I.
He is known, and not much to his credit, as the editor of
a " Collection of the Councils," Cologne, 1606, 4 vols. fol.
161S^ 9 vols, and Paris, 1636, 10 vols, with notes from
Baronius, . Bellarmin, Suarez, &c. but he has taken so
many liberties in capriciously altering these councils in
many parts, that it becomes necessary to caution the reader
against the purchase of his work. Usher calls him *^ Con-
taminator Conciliorum.^* ^
BINNING (Hugh), a Scotch divine, was born in the
shire of Air, 1627, and educated in the university of Glas*
gow, where he took his degrees, and in his nineteenth
year was appointed regent and professor of moral philoso-
phy, and was among the first in Scotland that began to
reform plrilosophy from the barbarous terms and jargon of
the schoolmen. As a preacher his talents were extremely
popular, and after he had preached some time as a proba-^
tioner, he was elected minister of Govan, near Glasgow.
In his ministerial conduct and character few excelled bin),
a^d the sweetness of his temper was such, that all seemed
to know his worth but himself. At last his incessant la-
bours brought on *a consumption, which put a period to
his life at Govan, 1654, aged 29. He once had an inter-
view with Cromwell when the latter was in Scotland, and
had appointed a meeting of the presbyterians and inde-
pendents to dispute before him. Mr. Binning was present
on this occasion, and managed the cause of presbyterianism
with so much skill as to puzzle Cromwell's independent
ministers. After the dispute, Oliver asked the name of
that ^Mearned and bold young man,^* and being told his
name was Hugh Binning, he said, with a wretched play
on words, " He hath bound well indeed, but," clapping his
hand on his sword, ^^ this will loose all again.^^ His tracts,
sermons, and commentaries on the epistle to the Romans,
were published separately ; but they have .been since col-
lected into one volume, 4to, and printed at Edinburgh,
1735.*
BJOERNSTAHL (James Jo^as), a Swedish traveller
of considerable note, was born iii the province of Suder-
mania, in 1731. After completing his studies at Upsal, he
was engaged as tutor in the family of baron de Rudbeck,
with whose son he travelled in England, France, Italy,
1 Biog. UDiTerselle. — Moreri. — ^Foppen Bibl. Belg. who has the hnpudence
to call Usher ''pseudla-archiepiscopus*"
' * Biog. Scoticana.
B J O E R N S T A H L. 917
Germany, &c. During his residence at Paris, he appli^
himself eagerly to the study of the oriental languages, for
which he had always had a strong predilection. On his
return, Gustavus III. employed him on a voyage to Greece,
Syria, and Egypt, and at the same time appointed him titu-
lar professor of the university of Lunden. He departed
accordingly in 1776 for Constantinople, where he remained
some time to acquire the Turkish language ; and was af-
terwards pursuing his journey, when he was seized with
the plague, and died at Salonichi, or Salonica, July 13,
1779. His letters, containing an account of his travel&f,
were published in Swedish at Stockholm, 1778, 3 vols. 8vo.
They contain many curious particulars respecting medals,
manuscripts, scarce books, and some interesting anecdotes
of Voltaire, whom he visited, yet he is accused of inac-
curacy in many points; but it ought to be added, tbffct
these letters were not intended for publication* *
BION. SeeMOSCHUS.
BION, a Greek philosopher, who flourished 300 B. C.
was born at Borysthenes, a Greek towo on the borders oi
the river of that name, now the Dneipen Of his family,
he is said to have given the following account to king An«
tigonus, who had heard something of his mean birth^ and
thinking to embarrass him, demanded bis name, his .CQun«
try, his origin^ &c. Bion, without being in the least dis-*
concerted, answered, '^ My father was a freed-man, whbse
employment was to sell salt-fish. He had been a Scythian,
born on the banks of the Borysthenes. He got acquainted
with my mother in a place of bad fame^ and there the
couple celebrated their hopeful marriage. My father af«
terwards committed some crime, with the precise nature of
which I am unacquainted ; and for this, he, his wife, and
his children, were exposed to sale. I was then a sprightly
boy. An orator purchased me : and on his death, be-
queathed to me all his effects. I instantly tore bis will,
threw it into the fire, and went to Athens, wh'erel applied
to the study of philosophy."' In this city he first attached
himself to Crates, and became a cynic, and then embracied
the opinions of Theodorus, the atheist, and Theophrastus,
and at last becanae a philosopher in his own way, without
belonging to any sect The name of philosopher, bow-
ever, seems ill applied to him. He uttered, indeed| somQ
. * Biog. UniTerif ne.-^axii OnQmaitioso.
S78 B I O N.
wise and moral sayings, but his general conduct was that
of extreme profligacy. He died at Chalcis, and during h\»
last illness, is said to have repented of his libertinism, for
which he endeavoured to atone by superstitious obser-
vances. He wrote copiously on the subject of morals, and
•Stobeus has preserved a few fragments. *
BIONDI (John Francis), was born in Liesena, an
island in Dalmatia, in the Gulf of Venice, in 1572, and
Was intrioduced by the celebrated sir Henry Wotton, the
Embassador there, to the notice of king James I. He was
by that prince sent with a secret commission to the duke of
Savoy, and was afterwards made a gentleman of the bed-
chamber, and received the honour of knighthood. His
elegant ** History of the Civil Wars betwixt the houses of
York and Lancaster,^' which was written in Italian, and
translated into English by Henry Carey, earl of Mon-r
mouth, gained him great reputation* It should be ob-
served that, like other foreign writers of our English story,
he has strangely disfigured the proper names. His history
was first printed at Venice, 1637, 3 vols. 4to, and at Bo-
logna in 1647. The English translation appeared in 1641.
The subsequent troubles in England prevented him from
continuing it as he intended. He also wrote some Italian
romances. He married a sister of sir Theodore May erne,
and went from England to the canton of Berne, where he
died in 1644.*
BIONDO. See FLAVIO,
BIRAGO (Francis), an Italian author of great autho-
rity in the science of which he may be said to have been
profiessor,' that which the Italians call Scienza cavalleresca,
which embraces all questions relative to nobility, the pro-
fession of arms, the ancient customs of chivalry, and the
laws of honour. He was born in 1562, of a noble Milanese
family, and lived and wrote as late as the year 1637, but
beyond that his history cannot be traced. Being the eld-
est of six brothers, he assumed, in his writings, the title
of signor Metono and Siciano, two fiefs belonging to his
family in the territory of Pavia. From Crescenzi, a con-
temporary, and author of a *^ treatise on the nobility of
Italy," we learn that Birago was arbitrator of all chivalrous
diaputes in Lombardy : and that in' all parts of Italy he
1 Stanley <— Gen. Diet— Moreri.— -Fenelon*! Livei by Cormack. — Bracker.
* Granj^r. — And Granger's Letters, ip. 41.-- Bio|;. UniT. — Walpole's R^yal
and Kobie Authors^ in art. Henry earl of Monmouth.
B 1 R A GO. 279
was consulted as an oracle, and bis opinions were decisiye,
tieing considered as a gentleman who united honourable
spirit with high blood. He wrote several works on the
subject, enumerated by Ginguen^, the principal of which
were collected and published in one vol. 4to, under the
title *^ Opere cavalleresche distinte in quattro libri, ciod
in discorsi > consigli, libro I e II ; e decisioni,'.* Bologna^
1686.^
BIRAGUE (Clement), an engraver on precious stones,
was born at Milan, but exercised his art principally in
Spain about the middle of the sixteenth century* He was
the first who discovered a method of engraving on the
diamond, which before was thought impenetrable by the
graver. The first work he executed of this kind was a
portrait of don Carlos the unfortunate son of Philip II.
He ajso^ engraved, on diamond, the arms of Spain as a seal
for that prince. '
BIRAGUE (Flaminio de), one of the king of France's
gentlemen of the household, distinguished himself for his
taste for French poetry, although an Italian by birth. He
took Ronsard for his model, and copied at least his faults.
His " Premieres oeuvres poetiques" were printed at Paris,"
in 1581 and 1385, 12mo, dedicated to his uncle Rene de
Birague, cardinal and chancellor of France, They consist
of a number of sonnets, and other minor pieces, addressed
to a young lady, named Maria, for whom he professed a
passion, but he regrets the time he has lost in that firuit*
less pursuit. He wrote also, according to general opinion,
a satire entitled, ** UEnfer de la mere Cardine, traitant
de rhorrible bataille qui fut aux enfers, aux noces du por*
tier Cerberus et de Cardine,"^ Paris, 1583, 8vo, and 1597,
both editions very rare. In 1793, however, the elder Di-
dot thought it worth while to print an elegant edition in
8vo, of only one hundred copies, eight of which are on
vellum. '
BIRCH (Thomas), a late valuable historical and bio-
graphical writer, was born in the parish of St. John^s'
Clerkenwell, on the 23d of November, 1705. His parents
were both of them quakers, and his father, Joseph Birch,
was a coffee-mill maker by trade. Mr. Joseph Birch en-
deavoured to bring up his son Thomas to his own business ;
but so ardent was the youth^s passion for reading, that he
} JiogrUnJTWclk, » rti4» • Ibid,
Jdo BIRCH.
'solicited his father to be indulged in hi^ inclination, pro*
mising, in that case, to provide for himself. The first
school he went to was at Hemel-hempsted in Hertfordshire,
kept by John Owen, a rigid quaker, for whom Mr. Birch
afterwards officiated, some little while, as an usher, but at
present he made very little progress. The next school in
which he received his education was taught by one Welby,
who lived near TurnbuU-street, Clerkenwell, a man who
never had above eight or ten scholars at a time, whom he
professed to instruct in the Latin tongue in the short space
of a year ajid a half, and had great success with Mr. Birch,
who afterwards lived with him as an usher; as he also after-
wards was to Mr. Besse, . the £amous quaker in George's
court near St. John's lane, who published the posthumous
works of Claridge. It is farther said, that he went to
Ireland with dean Smedley ; but in what year he passed
over to that country, and how long he resided with the
dean, cannot now be ascertained, in his removals as sea
vsher, he always took care to get into a still better school,
and where he might have the greatest opportunity of stu*
dying the most valuable books, in which he was indefati-
gable, and stole many hours from sleep to increase his
stock of knowledge. By this unremitting diligence, though
he had not the happiness of an university education, he
sf}on became qualified to take holy orders in the church of
England ; and as his early connections were of a different
kind, his being ordained was a matter of no small surprise
to his old acquaintance. In 1728, he married the daughter
Qrf one Mr, Cox, a clergyman to whom he was afterwards
cqrate ; and in this union he was singularly happy : but
his felicity was of a short duration, .Mrs. Birch dying in
le$s than twelve months after their marriage. The dis-
order which carried her off was a consumption accelerated
' by childbearing, and almost in the very article of her
death she wrote to her husband the following: letter:
•^ This day . I ret^^rn you, my dearest life, my sincere,
hearty thanks for every favour bestowed X)n your most faith-
ful and obedient wife,
" July 31, 1729. Hannah Birch."
How much Mr. Birch was affected by this calamity ap«
pears from some verses written by him, August 3d, 1729,
on his wife's coffin, and inserted in Mrs. Howe*s Miscel-
laneous Works. That Mrs. Birch was a woman of very
amiable accomplishments, is not only evident from the
BIRCH. 281
verses now meiitionecl^ bat from two* Latin epitaphs drawn
up for her ; one by her hasband, and the other by Dr. Dale^
which last was translated into English by Mr. James Ralph*
In both these epitaphs, she is celebrated as having pos-
ses.sed an uncommon share of knowledge and taste, and
many virtues. ' After this melaneholy event, he was or-«
dained deacon by the bishop of Salisbury^ Dr. Hoadly,
Jan. 17, 1730, and priest by the same prelate, Dec. 21, 1 73 1^
and at the same time was presented to the rectory of Sid««
dington St. Mary, and the vicarage of Siddington St. Peter,
m Gloucestershire. He had been recommended, by a
common friend, to the friendship and favour of the late
lord high chancellor Hardwicke, then attorney-general ;
to whom, and to the late earl of Hardwicke, he was in-
debted for ail his preferments. The chancellor gave him
the living of Ulting'in the county of Essex, to which be
was instituted by Dn Gibson, bishop of London, on the
20th of May, and he took possession of it on the day fol-
lowing. In 1734, he was appointed one of the domestic
chaplains to William earl of Kilmarnock, the unfortunate
nobleman who was afterwards beheaded, on the 18th of
August, !74'6, for having been engaged in the rebellion of
1745. The earl of Kilmarnock was, we believe, in more
early life, understood to be a whig ; and under no othet
character could Mr. Birch have been introduced to his
lordship's notice. On the 20th of February, 1734-5,' Mr*
Birch had the honour of being chosen a member of the
royal society, sir Hans Sloane taking a leading part in the
election. The same honour was done him on the 1 1th of
December 1735, by the society of antiquaries ; of which
be afterwards became director. A few weeks before he
was chosen into the latter, the Marischal college of Aberdeen
had conferred on him, by diploma, the degree of master
of arts. In the Spring of 1743, by the favour of bis noble '
patron before mentioned, he received a more substantial
benefit ; being presented by the crown to the rectory of
Landewy Welfrey in the county of Pembroke. To this
benefice, which was a sinecure, he was instituted on the
7th of May, by Dr. Edward Willes, bishop of St. David's.
On the 24th of February, 1743-4, be was presented to the
rectories of 8t. Michael, Wood- street, and St. Mary, Stain-
ing, united. His next preferment was likewise in the city
6t London ; being to the united rectories of St. Margaret
Pattens, and St. Gabriel, Fenchurch-street, to which he
^62 BIRCH.
was presented iii the beginning of February, 174ir»6. In
January, 1752, he was elected one of the secretaries of the
royal society, in the room of Dr. Cromwell Mortimer, de-
ceased. In Jsinuary 1753, the Mariscbal college of Ab^«
deen created him doctor of divinity ; and in that year, the
same honour was conferred on him by that excellent pre*
late. Dr. Thonms Herring, archbishop of Canterbury. Our
author was also a trustee of the British Museum. The last
preferment given to Dr. Bifch, was the rectory of Depden
in Essex ; for which he was indebted to the late earl of
Hardvvicke. Depden itself, indeed, was in the patronage
of Mr. Chiswell, and in the possession of the rev. Dr. Cock.
But the benefice in lord Hardwicke's gift, being at too great
a distance from town, to be legally held by Dr. Birch, he ob^
tained an exchange with Dr. Cock. Dr. Birch was instituted
to Depden by the late eminent bishop Sherlock, on the 25tik
of February 1761 ; and he continued possessed oi this pre*
ferment, together with the united rectories of St. Margaret
Pattens, and St. Gabriel, Fenchurch-street, till his decease.
In 1765, he resigned his ofGce of secretary to the royal
society, and was succeeded by Dr. Maty. Dr. Birch'»
Iiealth declining about this time, he was ordered to ride for
the recovery of it; but being a bad horseman, and going
out, contrary to advice, on a frosty day, be was unfortu-
ni&tely thrown from his horse, on the road betwixt London
^nd Hampstead, and killed on the spot. Dr. William Wat-^
son, of Lincoln's Inn Fields, as soon as he heard of the
accident of the &11, hastened to the relief of his friend, but
in vain. It is uot known whether Dr. Birches fall might
9ot have been occasioned by an apoplexy. This melan-
choly event happened on the 9th of January 1766, in the
61st year of his age, to the great regret of the doctor's
numerous literary friends. Some days after hi^ death, he
was buried in the chancel of his own church of St. Mar«>
garet Pattens. Dr. Birch had, in his Ufe*time, been very
generous to his relations ; and none that were near to him
being living at his decease, he bequeathed his library of
books and manuscripts, many of which are valuable, to
the British Museum. He, likewise, left the remainder gf
his fortune, which amounted to not much more than five
hundred pounds, to be laid out in government securities,
for the purpose of applying the interest to increase the
stipend of the three assistant librarians. Thus manifesting
at his death, as he had done during his whole Ilfei hia ^«
B I R C H. Mi
^ect for literature, and biis desire to promote useful knour*
ledge.
Having related the more personal and private circum-
stances of Dr. Birch's history, we proceed to his various
publications. The 6rst great work he engaged in, was
^^ The General Dictionary, historical and critical ;'' wherein
a new translation of. that of the celebrated Mr. Bayle was
included ; and which was interspersed with several thou-*
sand lives never before published. It was on the 29th of
April, 1734, that Dr. Birch, in conjunction with the rev.
Mr. John Peter Bernard, and Mr. John Lockman, agreed
with the booksellers to carry on this important undertake
ing; and Mr. George Sale was employed to draw up the
articles relating to oriental history. The whole design
was completed in ten volumes, folio; the first of which
appeared in 1734, and the last in 1741. It is universally
allowed, that this work contains a very extensive and use->
ful body of biographical knowledge. We are not told
what were the particular articles written by Dr. Birch ;
but there is no doubt of his having executed a great part
of the dictionary: neither is it, we suppose, any dispa-
ragement to his coadjutors, to say, that he was superior.
to them in abilities and reputation, with the exception of
Mr. George Sale, who was, without controversy, eminently^
qualified for the department he had undertaken. The
next great design in which Dr. Birch engaged, was the.
publication of " Thurloe's State Papers." This collection,
which, comprised seven volumes in folio, came out in 1742.
It is dedicated to the late lord chancellor Hardwicke, and
'there is prefixed to it a life of Thurloe ; but. whether it
was written or not by our author, does not appear. The
same life had been separately published not long before.
The letters and papers in this collection throw the greatest
light on the period to which they relate, and are accom-
panied with proper references, and a complete index to
^acb volume, yet was a work by which the proprietors*
were great losers. In 1744, Dr. Birch published, in octavo,
a ** l^ife of the honourable Robert Boyle, esq ;" which
hath since be^n prefixed to the quarto edition of the works
of that philosopher. In the same year, our author began
his assistance to Houbraken and Vertue, in their design of
publishing, in folio, the ^^ Heads of illustrious persons of
Great Britain," engraved by those two artists, but chiefly.*
hy Mr. Houbraken. To each bead was annexed, by Dn
284 BIRCH.
Birch, the life and character of the person representecil.
The first volume of this work, which came out in numbers,
was completed in 1747, and the second in 1752. Our
author's concern in this undertaking did not hinder bis
prosecuting, at the same time, other historical disquisi-
tions : for, in 1747, appeared, in octavo, *^ His inquiiy
into the share which king Charles the First had in the
transactions of the earl of Glamorgan.^' A second edition
of the Inquiry was published in 1756, and it was a work
that excited no small degree of attention. In 1751, Dn
Birch was editor of the ^' Miscellaneous works of sir Wal-
ter Raleigh ;'' to which was prefixed the life of that un-
fortunate and injured man. Previously to this, Dr. Birch
published ^^ An historical view of the negociations between
the courts of Ed^land, France, and -Brussels, from 1592
to 1617 ; extracted chiefly from the MS State Papers of
sir Thomas Edmondes, knight, embassador in France, and
at Brussels, and treasurer of the household to the kings
James I. and Charles I. ^nd of Anthony Bacpn, esq. bro-
ther to the lord chancellor Bacon. To which is added, a
relation of the state of France, with the character of Henry
IV. and the principal persons of that court, drawn up by
sir George Carew, upon his return from his embassy there
in 1609, and addressed to king James I. never before
printed." This work, which consists of one volume, in
octavo, appeared in 1749; and, in an introductory discourse
to the honourable Philip Yorke, esq. (the late earl of
Hardwicke), Dr. Birch makes some reflections on the uti-
lity of deducing history from its only true and unerring
sources, the original letters and papers of those eminent^
men, who were the principal actors in the administration
of affairs ; after which he gives some account of the lives
of sir Thomas Edmondes, sir George Carew, and Mr. An-
thony Bacon. The " Historical View*' is undoubtedly a
valuable performance, and hath brought to light a variety
of particulars relative to the subjects and the period treated
of, which before were either not at all, or not so fully
known. In 1751, was published by our author, an edition,
in two volumes, 8vo, of the " Theological, mora), dra-
matic, and poetical works of Mrs. Catherine Cockburn;''
with an account of her life. In the next year came out
his '* Life of the most reverend Dr. John TUlotson, lord
archbishop of Canterbury. Compiled chiefly from his
original papers and letters.'* A second edition^ corrected
B I R C H. 235
an3 enlarged, appeared in 1753. This work, which wa»
dedicated to archbishop Herritig, is one of the most pleas-
ing and popular of Dr. Birch's performances; apd he has
done great justice to Dr. Tillotson's memory, character,
and virtues. Our biographer hath likewise intermixed
with his narrative of the good prelate's transactions, short
accounts of the persons occasionally mentioned ; a method
which he has pursued in some of his other publications.
In 1753, he revised the quarto edition, in two volumes, of
Milton's prose works, and added a new life of that great
poet and writer. Dr. Birch gave to the world, in the fol-
lowing year, his " Memoirs of the reign of queen Eliza-*
beth, from the year 1581, till her death. In which the
secret intrigues of her court, and the conduct of her fa-^
vourite, Robert earl of Essex, both at home and abroad, •
are particularly illustrated. From the original papers of
his intimate friend, Anthony Bacon, esq. and other manu-
scripts never before published." These memoirs, which
are inscribed to the earl of Hardwicke, give a minute ac-
count of the letters and materials from which they are
taken : and the whole work undoubtedly forms a very va-
luable collection-; in which our author has shewn himself
(as in his other writings) to be a faithful and accurate com-
piler; and in which, besides a full display of the temper
and actions of the earl of Essex, much light is thrown oir
the characters of the' Cecils, Bacons, and many eminent
persons of that period. The book is now becoming scarce,
and, as it may not speedily be republished, is rising in its
value. This is the case, likewise, with regard to the edi-
tion of sir Walter Raleigh's miscellaneous works. Dr.
Birch's next publication was " The history of the Royal
Society of London, for improving of natural knowledge,
from its first rise. In which the most considerable of those
papers, communicated to the society, which have hitherto
not been published, are inserted in their proper order, as
a supplement to the Philosophical Transactions." The
two first volumes of this performance, which was dedicated
to his late majesty, appeared in 1756, and the two other
volumes in 1757. The history is carried on to the end of
the year 1687 ; and if the work had been continued, and
had been c<Miducted with the same extent and minuteness^
it would have been a very voluminous undertaking. But,
thoagh it may, perhaps, be justly blamed in this respect,
it certinnly contains many curious and entertaining anec*
2S6 BIRCH.
»
dotes concerning the manner of the society^s proceeding*
at their first establisboient. It is enriched^ likewise, with
a number of personal circumstances relative to the mem^
bersy and with biographical accounts of such of the knbre
considerable of them as died in the course of each year*
In 1760, came out, in one volume, 8vo, our author^s " Life
of Henry prince of Wales, eldest son of king James I.
Compiled chiefly from his own papers, and other manu-
scripts^ never before published.*' It is dedicated to his
present majesty, then prince of Wales. Some have ob-
jected to this work, that it abounds too much with trifling
details, and that Dr. Birch has not given sufficient scope
to such reflections and disquisitions as arose from his sub-
ject. It must, nevertheless, be acknowledged, that it af-
fords a more exact and copious account than had hitherto
appeared of a prince whose memory has always been re-
markably popular; and that various facts, respecting se-
veral . other eminent characters, are occasionally intro-
duced» Another of his publications was, ^^ Letters, speeches^
charges, advices, &c. of Francis Bacon, lord viscount St.
Alban, lord chancellor of England.'* This collection^
which is comprised in one volume, 8vo, and is dedicated
to the honourable Charles Yorke, esq. appeared in 1763.
It is taken from some papers which hsid been originally i^
the possession of Dr. Kawley, lord Bacon's chaplai% whose
executor, Mr. John Rawley, having put them into the
bands of Dr. Tenison, they were, at length, depointed in
the manuscript library at Lambeth. Dr. Birch, speaking
of these papers of lord Bacon, says, that it can scarcely
be imagined, but that the bringing to light, from, obscurity
and oblivion., the remains of so enmient a person, will be
thought an acquisition not inferior to the discovery (if the
ruins of Herculaneum should afford such a treasure) of -a
new set of the epistles of Cicero, whom our immortal
cpuntryman most remarkably resembled as an orator, a
philosopher, a writer, a lawyer, and a statesman. Though
this, perhaps, is speaking too highly of a collection, which
contains many things in it seemingly not very material, it
must, at the same time, be allowed, that nothing can be
lot^lly uninteresting which relates, to so illustrious a man^
or tends, in any degree, to give a farther insight into bift
character. To this catalogue we have still to add " Pro-
fessor Qreaves's miscellaneous worj^s," 1737, in two vohk
*VQ. Dn Cudworth's " Intellectual System/' (improved
B I It C H. 2S7
fieom the Latiit edition of Mdsheim;) his discourse on die
true notion of the Lord's Supper, and two sermons^ with
an account of his life and writings, 1743, in two vols. .4to.
An edition of Spenser's " Fairy Queen," 1751, in three
vols. 4to, with prints from designs by Kenu ^^ Letters
between col. Robert Haoimond, governor of the Isle of
Wight, and the committee of lords and commons at Derby-
bouse, general Fairfax, lieut.-general Cromwell, commis-
; ^>^y general Ireton, &c. relating to king Charles L whiJe
I he was confined in Carisbrooke-castle in that island. Now
first published. To which is prefixed a letter from John
Ashbumham, esq. to a friend, concerning his deportment
towards the king, in his attendance on his majesty at
£[ampton«court, and in the Isle of Wight," 1764, Svo^
Dr. Birch's last essay, " The life of Dr. Ward," which
was finished but a week before his death, was published
by Dr. Maty, in 1766.
Mr. Ayscough has Extracted, from a small pocket-book
lielonging to Dr. Birch, the following memoranda of some
pieces written by him, of which he was not before known
to be the author. 1726, '^ A Latin translation of Hughes^s
Ode to the Creator." 1727, " Verses on the General
history of Printing ;" published in the General history of
Frinting. Collections for Smedley's View, 1728, ** Abe-
lard to Philotas." 1732, Began the General History. 1739,
'^ Account of Alga," published in the Works of the Learned
for July. ^^ Account of Milton," published in the Works
of the Learned. 1741, Wrote the letter of Cleander to
Smerdis, in the Athenian Letters. 1 742, Wrote an ac*
count of Orr's sermon, in the Works of the Learned. 1 743,
Wrote the preface to Boyle's works. 1760, By a letter
from Dr. 3tonhotise, it appears that- Dr. Birch was the
author of the Life df the rev. Mr. James Hervey, which is
)>refixed to that gentleman's writings. He was employed,
likewise, in correcting a great number of publications,
and among the rest Murden's State Papers. At the time
of the doctor's death, he had prepared for the press a coU
lection of letters, to which he had given the title of *^ His*
torical Letters, written in the reigns of Janaes I. and
Charles I. containing a detail of the public transacticKis
and events in Great Britain during that period ; with a va^p-
tiety of particulars not mentioned by our historians. .Now
first published from the originals in the British Museum,
\ Paper-^office,, and private collections." These are all th^
separate publications, or intended works, of Dr. Birch that
2&3 B IRC H.
biav€ come to our.knowledge, excepting a Sermon on tbl»
proof of the wisdom and goodness of God, from the fiame
and constitution of man^ preached before tbe college of
Physiciaiis, in 1749, in consequence of lady Sadlier'switL:-
to which we may add/ that he revised new editions of Ba-
con's» Boyle^s^ and Tillotson's works. The liv^es of Boyl^
and Tillotson, though printed by themselves, were dMR^n
lip partly with a view to their being prefixed to these great
fioen's .writifigs. It would swell this article-too much, weve-
we to enter into a detail of our author^s comnmuications to
the royal society, and of tbe papers transmitted by him to
tbat illustrious body. Whoever looks into his history of
the early proceedings of the society, will have no doubt of
the assiduity and diligence with which he discharged his
peculiar duty as secretary. But there is nothing which
'Sets Dr* Birches industry in a more striking light than the
vast number of transcripts which he made with hisown
hands. Among these, not to mention many other instan-
ces, there are no less than sixteen volumes in quarto, of
Anthony Bacon's papers, transcribed from the Lambeth
libi^a^ry and other collections ; and eight mone Volumes
of the saqote size, relative to history and literature. Our
author's correspondence, by lett/rs, was, likewise, ^ry
large and extensive ; of which numerous proofs occur in ^
the British Museum. What enabled Dr. Birch to go
through such a variety of undertakings, was his bein^k
very early riser. By this method, he had executed th^
business of the morning before numbers of people had be^
gufi it : and, indeed, it is the peculiar advantage of rising
betimes, tbat it is not in the power of any interruptions, -
avocations, or etigagements whatever, to derive a maii of
the hours which have already been well employed, or to -
rob him of the consolation of reflecting, that he hatb not
speqt the day in vain. With all this closeness of applica-
tion. Dr. Birch was not a solitary recluse. He was of a cbeer-
ful: and social temper, and entered much into conversation '
with the wojid. He was personally connected with most of
theliterary men of his time, and with some of them he maiif-
tained an intimate friendship, such as sir Hans Sloane, J^t.
Mead, Dt4 Salter, Mr. Jortin, and Dr* Maty ; DanfielWriiy,
esq. Dr. Morton,'Dr. Ducaml, Dr. William Wal<ion, &c. &c.
'*Wnh r^ard to^the great, though perhaps he stood w^U with
mutj di ybem^ his chief' connection was with the earls of '
Hasrdwiekei, ^nd with the rest of Ihe bnmohes of that* noble
BIRCH. 289
mncl respectable family. No one was more ready than Dr.
Birch to assist his fellow^ creatures, or entered more ardently
imo useful and laudable undertakings. He was particularly
active in the Society for promoting literature by the printing
of books, to which we are indebted for the publication of
Tanner^s Bibliotheca Britannico-Hibernica, and some few
other valuable works. In short, Dr. Birch was entitled to
that highest praise, of being a good man, as well as a man of
knowledge and learning. His sentiments with respect to
subjects of divinity resembled those of bishop Hoadiy.
We have seen that it has been objected to Dr. Birch,
that be was sometimes too minute in his publications, and
that he did not always exercise, with due severity, the
power of selection. The charge must be confessed not to
be totally groundless. But it may be alleged in our- au-
thorns favour, that a man who has a deep and extensive ac-
quintance with a subject, often sees a connection and im-
])ortance in some , smaller circumstances, which may not
immediately be discerned by others ; and, on. that account,
may have reasons for inserting them, that will escape the
notice of superficial minds. The same circumstance is' no-
ticed in the following character of Dr. Birch by oneof oiir
predecessors in this Dictionary, Dr. Heathcote, who knew
Br. Birch well, and consorted with him, for the last thir-
teen years of his life. Dr. Heathcote ^^ believes him to
have been an honest, humane, and generous man ; warm
and zealous in his attachments to persons and principle,
but of universal benevolence, and ever ready to promote
the happiness of all men. He was cheerful, lively, and.
spirited^ in the highest degree ; and, notwithstanding the
labours and drudgery he went through in his historical pur-
suits, no. man mixed more in company ; but he was a very
early riser, and thus had done the business of a morning be-*
fore others had begun it. He was not a man of learning,
Eroperly 90 called ; he understood the Latin and French
mguages, not critically, but very well ; of . the Greek be
knew veiy little. He was, however, a man of great general
knowledge, and excelled particularly in modern history.
As a collector and compiler, he was in the tnain judicious
in the choice of his materials; but was sometimes too
minute in uninteresting details* and did not always exer-
cise, with due severity, the power of selection. He had
a. favourite position, that we could not be possessed of too
flflf&ny facts ; and he never departed from it, though it waA
VOL.V. U
290 • BIRCH.
often urg^d to him, that facts, ivhich admit of no reason-
ing, and tend to no edification, which can only serve to
encumber, and, as it were, smother useful intelligencei
had better be consigned to oblivion, than recorded. And
indeed, iii this very way of biographical compilation, we'
have always been of opinion, that, if it were less fashion-
able to relate particulars of every man, which are common
to almost all men, we should be equally knowing, ahd our
libraries would be by far less crowded. In his manners,
Dr. Birch was simple and unaffected; very communicative,
aiid forward to assist in any useful undertaking ; and of a
spirit perfectly disinterested, and (as his friends used to
tell him) too inattentive to his own emolument.'^ ^
BIRCHINGTON (Stephen), or Bryckinton, or Brick-
^ INGTON, SO called from Birchington, in the isle of Tbanet,
where he was born, was a Benedictine monk^ belonging
to the church of Canterbury, into which order he entered
about the year 1382. He wrote a history of the arch-
bishops of Canterbury to the year 1368, which forms the
first article in the first volume of .Wharton's Anglia Sacra,
who copied it from the MS. in the Lambeth library*
Other historical MSS. in the same library are attributed to
him, hot remain unpublished. He is supposed to have
died in 1407.'
BIRCRBEK (Simon), an English divine of theseven-^
teeoth century, was born in 1584:, and in 1600 became a
student in Queen's college, Oxford, where he took bia
master's degree, and obtained a fellowship. In 1607 he
went into holy orders, and acquired much reputation for
his preaching, and among the learned, for his ayqoaint-i*
ance with the fathers and schoolmen.. In 1616 he was ad«
mitted to the reading of the sentences, and the year fel*
lowing became vicar of the church of Gilltng, and the
chapel of Forcet, near Richmond, in Yorkshire, where he
increased his popularity by his punctual discharge of the
pastoral office, and by his exemplary life. During the
usurpation he was not ejected from Uiis living, and died
Sept. 16561 His principal work, which was highly valued
by Selden ind other learned men, is entitled ** The Pro-*
testant's etidence, db^ing that for 1500 years next after
»
* Biog. Brit and eorrectioQt prefixed to tbe subsequent ▼olumes.-^NichoU's
Bowyer.
f vnmftiom'9 AagUa Sscm, vol. I. Pr«t p. xbt. «*T«iiwr.<— FabrtcU BttU.
UtMed.
'«
S
B 1 R C K B E I^. 29A
I
Christy divers guides of God^s church htxe in sQtidiy
points of religion taught as the church of England now
doth/' London^ 1634, 4to, and in 1657, folio, much eii#
larged. Some histories of the church, particularly that of
Milner, seem to be written on this pian. ^
BIRD (WiLUAM), s^n eminent musician and Composer,
was one of the children of the chapel in the reign of Ed^
Ws^rd VI. and, as asserted by Wood in the Ashmolean
MS. was bred up under Tallis. It appears, that in 1375
Tallis and Bird were both gentlemen and also organists of
the royal chapel ; but the time of their appointment tp
this 'latter oi&ce cannot now be ascertained with any exact-
ness* The compositions of Bird are many and various ;
tho^e of his. younger years were mostly for the service of
the church. He composed a work entitled '^ l^acrarum
C^tlonumy quinque vocum, printed in 1589; among,
which is that noble composition '^ Civitas sancti tui,^' which
for many years past has been sung in the church as an
anthem, to the words ''Bow thine ear, O Lord!'* tie was
also the author of a work entitled '' Gradualia^ ae Can-
tiones sacras, quinis, quaternis, trinisque vocibus concin-
natae, lib. pcimus.'' pf this there are two editions, the
latter published in 16 IQ. Although it appears by these
works, that Bird was in the strictest sense a church
musician, he occasionally gave to the world compositions
of a secular kind ; and he seems to b^ the first among:
English musicians that ever mad6 an essay in the compo-
sition of that elegant species of vocal harmony, the ma*
drigal ; the '' La Verginella*' of Ariosto^ which he set in
that form for five voices, being the most ancient musical
composition of the kind to be met with in the works of
English authors. Of his compositious for private enter*
tainment, there are extant, '' Songs of sundry natures,
some of gravitie, and others of myrth, fit for all compianies
and voyces, printed in 1589;' and two other collections
of the same kind, the last of them printed in 1611. But
the most permanent memorials of Bird's excellences are
hia mpt^ts and anthems; to which may be added , a fine
service in the key. of D with the mmor third, the first
composition in Dr. Boycei's Cathedral Music, vol. III.
and that welKknown canon of his, " Non nobis, Domine."
Besides his salaries and other emoluments of his profession,
I Wood»s Ath. vol. II.
U 2 .
299 BIRD.,
it is to be supposed tiiat Bird derived sojnae advantsges
from the patent granted by queen Elizabeth to Taiiis and
him, for the sole. printing of music and music-paper; Dr.
Ward speaks of a book which be had seen with the letters
T. E., for Thomas East, Est, or Este, who printed music
under that patent. Tallis dying in 1 585, the patent, by
-the terms of it, survived to Bird, who, no doubt for a va-
luable consideration, permitted East to exercise the rig^
of printingvunder the protection of it ; and he in the titl€|<-
page of most of bis publications styles himself the ^^-as^
sigiiee of William Bird.'* Bird di^d in 1623, *
. BIRINGUCCIO (Vanocci), an Italian mathematician^
was bom at Sienna about the end of the fifteenth century,
and died about the middle of the sixteenth. After bavit^
served in tl^ wars under the dukes of Parma and Ferrarjiy
and the republic of Venice, he employed himself in stu-
dying the art of fusing and casting metal for cannon^ and
imprioviJDg the qqality of gunpowder. He was the first of
. bis nation who wrote, upon these subjects. The work in
which be laid down his . experience and practice, was en-
titled '< Pirotecnia, nella quale si tratta non sole della di-
^versita delle .miners, 'ma anco di quanto si . ricerca alia
.pr^ktica di esse^ e che s'appartienne alParte della fusione
o getto de' luet^Ui,^' Venice, 1540, 4to, often reprinted
and translated. •
BIRINUS (Sj.j a priest of , Rome, who in the year 634
obtained leave of pope Honorius to pleach the gospel ^
the idolaters in- Britain, at which, the pope was so much
pleased, that he caused him to be. ordained bishop. This
missionary landing in the kingdom of the West Saxons,
with .many others baptised king Cynegilsus, who began ^
reign in. the year 611, and filled the throne thirty-one
years. St Birinus fixed his see at Dercis, now Dorches-
ter, in Oxfordshire, in the windows of which beautiful
cburch are still some remains of painting relative to tb/e
history of his mission. He built and consecrated many
churches, and had great success in converting the natives,
until bis death, about the year 650. November 29 is his
day in !tiie calendar. ^ He was first buried at Dorchester,
but bis ijeimains were afterwards translated to Winchester^'
1 liiwkios's Hist, of MJMtc— Barney's Ditto.
• Biog. Uni^erselle.
9 Tanner.— 'Bvtler'8 lares of the Saints.— Neve's Fasti Anfl. p. 137, ^3.
B I R K E'K HEAD. 393
BIRKENHEAD or BERKENHEA© (Siu John), a pa^
liticai author in the s^^vente^nth (5eiitury, was the son of
Richard Birkenhead, of Northwych^ in the ''county of
-Cheshire, an honest saddler, who, if some authors may. de-
serve credit, kept also a little ale-house. Our author was
born about r6l5, and having recefived some tinctttre:.of
learning in the common grammar-schools, came to 03c^
ford, and was entered in 1632, a servitor of Oriel college,
under the tuition of the learned Dr. Humphrey Lloyd, af-
terwards bishop of Bangor. Dr. Lloyd recommended hioi
to Laud, archbishop of Canterbury, as his* amanuensis,
and in that capacity he discovered such talents, that the
archbishop, by his diploma, created him A. M. in 1639,
and the year following, by letter commendatory from the
same great prelate, he was chosen probationary fellow of
AlUsouls college. This preferment brought him to reside
constantly in Oxford, and on king Charles L making that
city his head-quarters during the civil war, our author was
employed to write a kind of journal in support of the royal
cause, by which he gained great reputation ; and bis ma-
jesty recommended him to be chosen reader in moral phi-
losophy, which employment he enjoyed, though with very
small profit, till 1648, when he was expelled by the par-
liament visitors. He retired afterwards to London, where
adhering steadily to his principles, he acquired, among
those of his own sentiments, the title of *^ The Loyal
Poet,^' and suffered, from such as had then the power in
their hands, several imprisonments, which served only to
sharpen his wit, without abating his coun^e. He pub-
lished, while he thus lived in obscurity, and, as Wood says,
by his wits, some very tart performances, which were then
very highly relished, and are still admired by the curious.
These were, like^fais former productions, levelled against
the republican teaders, and were written with the same
vindictive poignancy that was then fashionable. Upon the
restoration of king Charles H. he was created April 6,
166 1, on the king's letters sent tor that purpose, D. C. L.
by the university of Oxford; and in that quality was one,
of the eminent civilians consulted by the convocation on
kbe question ^ Whether bishops ought to be present in
capiul cases*?*' and with tiie rest, Feb. 2, 1661-2, gave
it under his hand, they ought and might. He was, about
the same time, elected a burgess, to serve in parliament
for Wilton, in the county of Wilts, and continuing bis
994 BIRKENHEAD;
services to bi^ master, wasbyhikn promoted, oii the first
Vapancy, to some office at court, which he quittedt after*
wards, and became master in the Faculty office* He was
knighted November 14, 1662, and upon sir Richard Fan^
sb&v^'s going with a public diaracter to the court of Ma-c
drid, sir John Birkenhead succeeded him as master of re*
quests. He w^ also elected a member of the royal so4
ciety, an honour at that time conferred on none who were
not well known in the republic of letters, as men capable
of promoting tt^e trtily noble designs of that learned bodyi:
He lived afterwards in credit and esteem with men of wit
and learning, and received various favours from the court,
;.n consideration of the past, and to instigate him to othei^
sei'vices ; which, however, drew upon him some very se-
vere attacks from those who opposed the court. Anthony
Wood has preserved some of their coarsest imputations,
fbr what reason is not very obvious, as Wood is in general
very partial to the loyalist writers. He died in West*
Hdinster, December 4, 1679, and was interred at St. Mar-
tin's in the Fields, leaving' to his executors, sir Richard
Mason, and sir. Muddiford Battiston, a large and curious
oollection of pamphlets on all subjects.
Sir John's newspaper which he wrote at Oxford, was
entitled ^^ Mercurius Aulicus, communicating the intelli*
gence and afFairs.of the court to the rest of the kingdom;**
It wa^ printed weekly in one sheet, and sometimes more,
in 4to ; and was chiefly calculated to raise the reputation
of the Ring's friends and commanders, and ridicule those
who sided with the parliament. They came out regularly
from the beginning of 1642, to the latter end of 1645,
and afterwards, occasionally. When Birkenhead was
otherwise engaged. Dr. Peter Heylyn, supplied his place,
but was not thought so capable of that species of writing,
as he did not excel in popular wit, which is necessary to
render such kind of pieces acceptable to the pubKc. The
parliaihent thought fit to oppose this court •journal by ano*
ther on their side of the question, under the title of ^' Met*
curius Britannicus," written by Marchmont Nedham, to
whom the royalists gave the name of '^ fouUmouthed
' Nedham ;" who, finding himself somewhat unequal to tb^e
Oxford writer, thought fit to ascribe the '* Mercurius Auf
licus" to several persons, that his deficiency might do the
less prejudice to his party. Jacob blunderingly calls the
*^ Mercurius Aulicus," a poem. Sir John's other satirical
B I R K EN HEAD. 29S
WQtkj^wet^i 1> << The As^emblj^mao/* written m 1647^
but printed, as Wood tells us, 1662t3. 2. *' News from
Pembroke and Montgomery ; or^ Oxford Manchestened/'
&c.. ,164». 3. " St. Paul's church-yard ; libri theologi'qi,
pplitici, bistorici, nundinis Paulinis (una cum templo) pror
stant v^nales, &9." printed in three sheets, 1649, 4to*
These sheets were published separately, as if. they bad
been pe^rts of one general catalogue. An account of them
is in tbe Cens. Lit. vol. IV. 4. ^^ The four-legged Quaker,
a ballsid, I^Qi tbe tune of tbe dog and elder's maid," 5. ^^ A
new ballad of a famous German prince, without date,'' &Ck
. Our author has also several verses and translations ex-
tant, set lo music by Mr. Henry Law^s ; as particularly
Anacrepn's ode, called the Lute, translated from the
Greek, and to he sung by a bass alone ; and an Anniver-
sary on tbe nuptials of John earl of Bridgwater, 22d July,
1662. He wrote, likewise, a poem on his staying in Lon-
don after the Act of Banishment for cavaliers ; and another
called tbe Jolt, made upon Cromwell the protector's being
thrown out^ of his coacb-biox in Hyde*Park. He published
Mr. IKobert Waring's <' Effigies Anioris, sive quid sit
Amor efflagitanti responsum," London, 1649, 12mo, from
the origim?, at the author's desire, who was willing to bd
coqceiJed. The third edition was published after the
f^toration,. by William Griffith, of Oxford, with an
epistle )>efore it, written by him to sir John Birkenhead ;
wherein he gives the character of that gentleman, as well
^ of tbe author. This was the same piece afterwards
tran^ated into English by the famous Mr. I^orris of Be-
merton, and published under th^ title Qf '* The Picture of
Love unveiled*'* We meet also with several copies of
Tc^es written by this gentleman, and prefixed to the works
of the most eminent wits^ and greatest poets of hi^time;
but satire was his principal excellence, and in genuine
powers of ridieule be had no superior, at a time when
those powers were called forth, and well rewarded by both
parties. '
BIRKHEAD (HBNav), a modem Latin poet, was born
in 1617, near St« Paul's cathedral, in London, and after
^^^having been educated under the famous Farnaby, was en*
tered a commoner at Trinity coll€^;e, Oxford, in 1632ft;
} Bk>g. Brit— CibWs Uvef .— AUi Ox. vol. II.«»-Geiif tm literariay toL IV.
—Wood's Aanals.
we B I R K tt E A p.
admitted scholar th^e. May 28^ 1635, and soon after wai
seduced to become a member of the college of Jesuits, at
St. Omer's. He sood, however» returned to the cliurch
of England) and by the patronage of archbishop Laiidf
was elected fellow of AJl Souls, in 16^8) being then ba*
cbelor of arts, and esteemed a good philologist He pro«^
ceeded in that faculty^ was made senior of the act cele-
brated in 1641, and entered on the law faculty. He kept
bis fellowship during the usurpation, but resigned it after
the restoration, when he became registrar of the diocr se
of Norwich. This too -he resigned in 1684, and resided^
first in the Middle Temple, and then in other places, in
a retired condition for many years. The time of bis death
is not mentioned ; but in the title of Trapp's ^^ Lectures
on Poetry,'' Henry Birkhead, LL.D. some time fellow of
All Souls college, is styled ^^ Founder of the poetical lec^
tures,*' the date of which foundation is 1707. He wrote r
i,. '^ Poemata in Elegiaca, lambica, Polymetra, &c. mem*
branatim quadripartita," 1656, 8vo. 2* ^' Otium Lite-
rarium, sive miscellanea qusedam Poemata," 1656, 8vo.
He also published in 4to, with a preface, some of the phi-
lological works of bis intimate friend Henry Jacob, who
bad the honour of teaching Seldeti the Hebtew language i
and. he wrote several Latin elegies on the loyalists vdia
suffered in the cause of Charles I. which are scattered in
various printed books, and many of them subscribed H. G}
BI8CIONI (Anthony Maria), a celebrated Italian
scholar of the last century, was born at Florence, Aug. 14,
1674. After finishing his studies, ^he taught a school,
which produced Bottari, the prelate, and some other
eminent men. The grand duke Cosmo III. having given
him some benefices, be took priest's orders, and the de»
gree of doctor in the university of Florence, and spent se«-
yeral years in preaching, particularly in the cathedral
church of St Laurence. The cliApter, in 17 IS, appointed
him keeper of the Mediceo-^Laurentian library, and i6 thtti
office be was re-elected in 17^^, 1729, and 1739, but he
could not, with all his endeavours, prevail on l^e chapter to
grant it him for life. While here, however, be began a
new course of studies, . learned Greek, Hebrew^ and other
oriental languages, and applied himself particiitarly to the
Tuscan : here also he found a very useful patron in Nicolas
» Ath. Ox. vol. IL^Biog. Brit, yol VH. p. 174,
B r a c I o N I. i9T
iy a xery opulent Florentine noblemaii, who re^
eeived him into bis house, where he remained eleven years,
and made him his children's tutor^ his librarian^ secretary^
archivist, &c. and amply rewarded him for his services in
all these departments. He wa9 also appointed apostolic
prothonotary, synodal examiner at Florence and Fiesola,
and reviser of cases of conscience in these dioceses. At
length, in 1741, the grand dulce of his own accord made
him royal librarian of the Laurentian library, and in 1745,
gave him a canonry of ^t. Laurence, In his place as
librarian, he was of essential service to men of letters, and
was engaged in many literary undertakings which were
interrupted -^by his death. May 4, 1754, He left a very
capital collection of rare editions and manuscripts, which
the grand duhe purchased and divided between the Lau«'
rentian and Magliabechian libraries. Biscioni during his
life-time was a man of great reputation, and many writers
have spoken highly in bis praise. He published very litde
that could be called original, his writings consisting prin-
cipally of the notes, commentaries, prefaces, letters, and
dissertations,, with which he enriched the works of others i
such a^ the preface and notes to his edition of the ** Prose
di Dante Alighieri e di Gio. Boccaccio,'*' Florence', 1713
•-^l'72S| 4tn ; his notes on ^* Menzini's Satires ;** his pre*
face and notes on the ** Riposo'' of Raphael Borghini,^
Florence, 1730, 4to, &c. &c. The only work he published*
not of this description, was a vindication of the first edition
of the ^^ Cantt Carnascialeschi,'' against a reprint^of that
work by theabb^ Bracci, entitled '^ Parere sopra la secon-
da edizione de' Canti Carnascialeschi e in difesa della
prima edizione,'* &c. Florence, 1750, 8vo. He had begun
the catalogue of the Mediceo-Laurentian library, of which
the first volume, containing the oriental manuscripts, was*
magnificentiy printed at Florence, 1752, ibiio, and the rest
continued by the canon Giulanelli, many years after, who
added the Greek MS8. Biscioni left many notes, critical
remarks, &c. on books, a history of the Panciatichi family*
and of his own family, and soipne satires on those who had
so long, prevented him from being perpetual keeper of the
Laurentian library, an injury he seems never to have for«
gotten.^
1 Biof. Ubircitclk.— MfnacheUL
298 B I SIC O B.
».
Bl8CO!i (RiCflAiiD), an Englisb dMntf ^proMAyAit
flfofi or gmndsoit of tb^ rev. John Biscoe of New Inn haU,
Oxford, « noncenfonnis^ was himself educated at a dis*
sentHig academy kept by I>r. 'Benion . at ShrewsbiHy, and
was ordained a dissenting mittister, Dec« 19, 1716. In
l72Sf hd confofowd and received deacon's and priest' si
orders in tbe cbavoh of England, and in 1727 was presented
to tbe living of Sd. Martin Outwieb, in the city of London,
wbicb ke retaitred until hisji d^atb, July 174^. He heid"
ako a prebend 6f St Paul'sy and was one of bis majesty'^
dhapljains in ordinary. He is. now chiefly known for a^
learned aodelaboiiaBbe work, entitled ^< Tbe History 6f the
Acts of the Holy Apostles confirmed from ether anthors ;
and considered as fall evidence of the truth of CbrtstiatrHty,
with a prefatory discidurse upon the nature of that evi-
dence;"' being tbe substance » of his sermons preached at
Boyle's lecture^ in 1736, 1737, 1738, and published in
U vols. 1742, 8tq« Dr. Doddridge frequently refers to it^
as a work of great utility^ and as shewing ^^ in the most con-
vincing manner^ bow incontestably tbe Acts of the Apos-
tles demonstrates the truth of Christianity." ^
BISHOP (SitieiUEL), late head^master of Merchant
Taylors' school and a poet of considerable merit, was
descended froin a respectable family, originally of Wor-
cestershire, and was born in St. John's street, London, his
fbtber's residence, Sept. 3 1, O. S. 173]. He was tender
and delicate in his constita%io4i, yet gave early indications
of uncommon capacity 'and application, as appears from
his having been called, when only nine years old, to con-
strue the Greek Testament for a lad of fourteen, the son
of an opulent neighbour. With t^his promising stock of
knowledge, he was sent to Merchant Taylors' school, June
1743, when between eleven and twelve years of age, and
soon evinced a superiority over his fellows which attracted
the notice and approbation of his masters. He read with
avidity, and composed with success. His first essays, how-
ever imperfisct, ^ewed great natural abilities, and an ori-
^nal vein of wit. History and poetry first divided his at-
tention, but the last predominated. He not only acquired
that knowledge of the Latin and. Greek classics, \lhich is
usually obtained in* a public seminary, but also became
1 Wood's Ath. vol. lI.--Bi«tetUBt Diswoten' Ma^naunt, vol. VI. p. 306.
firi ^ H O p. 29sr
ilttiiiiately tequarnted with the best audiore ih our own
laDguage : and some of his writings prove that he had
pernsed Milton, Dryden, Pope, and Swift, at an early age,
with macb diserimination and critical judgment. In Jime
1750, be was elected to St John's college, Oxford, and
admitted a scholar of that society, on the 25th of the same
ihonth. During his residence here, he not only coi^rected
bis taste by reading with judgment, but also improved hi»
powers by habitual practice in composition. Besides se«^
veral poetical pieces, with which he supplied hir friends,
be wrote a great number of college exercises, hymns, para-
pbrases of scripture, translations from the ancients, and
imitations of the moderns.
In June 1753, he was admitted felbw of St John's, and
in April 1754, he took the degree of B. A. and about the
9ame time was ordained to holy orders. He was then set-^
tied in the curacy of Headley in Surrey, whither he had
removed on account of a declining state of health,. but
change of air soon restored him, and he continued to di-*
vide his time between Headley and the university, till 1758,
when he took the degree of M. A. He then quitted/Head«^^
ley, and came to reside entirely in London, on being
elected under-master of Merchant Taylors' school, July
2<^« He was appointed also curate of St. Mary Abcfaurch;:
and some time afterwards lecturer of St Christopher^^-.
Stocka, a choeeh since taken down for the enlargement of:
the Bank. In 1762, he published ^< An Ode to the earl
of Lincoln on the duke of Newcastle's Retirement,'' without
his name. In 1763 and 1764, he wrote several essays and
poems, printed in the Public Ledger, and soon after a:
volume of Latin poems^ P^^y translated, and partly ori-
ginal, under the title of '* Ferise poeticse." This was pub-^'
lisbed by subscription, beyond which the sale was not con«
siderable. He also appears to have tried his talents for
dramatic composition, but not meeting with sufficient en-
couragement, he very wisely relinquished a pursuit that
could have added little dignity to the character of a clergy^
man and a public teacher. From this period he devoted
bis talents to the amusementof a few friends, and the labo«
rions duties of his profession, which he continned te dis-
charge with the utmost fidelity, during the prime of his-
life.
In January 1783, he was elected head-knaster of Mer-
chant Taylors, the duties of whi^ch important station en-
300. B I S H O 1^.
tirely occupied bU atteDtion, and in 1789, the company ef
Mercbs^nt Taylors presented him to the living of St. Martin
Outwicb, .as a reward for his long and faitbful services.
Pn Warren^ bi$bop of Bangor, a few years before had ob.«
tained tor him, troin the earl of Ayiesford, tbe rectory of
Ditton ip Kent But he did not long enjoy these prefer*
ments ; bodily infirmities grew fast upon him, and repeated
fits of tbe gout underuiiaed his constitution. In the :be>
ginning of 1795, be was alarmed by an oppression on bis
breath, which proved to be occasioned . by water on tiie
(;hest, and terminated in his death, Nov. 17, 1795^ -He
left a widow, whose virtues he has aifectionately com.-
memorated in many, of bis poems, and one daughter. The
year foilowiiig his death, his '^ Poetical Worlds'' were pubs^
limbed by subscription, in 2 vols. 4tOj with Mejmoirs of the
Life Qf the Author, by the rev. Thomas Clai*e, M.:A; noisr
vicar of St. Bride's, Fleet-street, from which the present
sketch is taken ; and in 1798, the same editor pubtisfaeda.
volume of Mr. Bishop's ^^ Sermons, chiefly upon practical
subject^;:^' The poems entitle Mr. Bishop to a.very dis.^
tinguished rank among minor poets, and among those who
write with ease and elegance on familiar subjects ;- but^ife
doubt whether his talents could have reached tbe higher
species of the art. He is sometimes nervoas, sometinntft
. pathetic, but never sublime ; yet his vein of bumour was
well calculated for tbe familiar verses, epigrams, &c.)«vhieli
are so plentiful in these volumes.. His style is always pure^
and his imagination uncommonly fertile in those lesser
poems which require a variety of the grave, gay, the witty
and thjS instructive*^' * • '
BISHOP (William), vicar apostolical in Enghnd^ and
tbe first popish bishop that was sent thither after the refor-
mation, was born in 1553, at Brayles in Warwickshire«
He stuciieci in the university of Oxford; Wood thinki^
eithei* in Gloucester-hall (now Worcester college), or in
Lincoln college, the heads of both which were secret &»
vourei:s of popery : from Oxford' he went to Rbeims and
Rome, and having been sent back to Eiigland^- as amis*
sionary, he was arrested at Dover, and confined in prison
in London until the end of the year 1584. Being then re^
Jeased, he went to PariS| took bis degree of ticentiate, and
' Life prefixed to his Poems, 1796, 4to. Tbere has junce appeared an Sro
edition^ or selection, i
'6 I S H 0 1^. 301
tsme agsdn to England in 1591. In two years lie ^turned
to Paris, completed his. degree of doctor, and soon after
his arrival in England, a dispute arising among the popish
dergy here, 4ie was sent to Rome with another missionary
to appeal to the pope. In 1612 we find him again in Eng-
iaiid, and in' confinement, on account of the oath of alle-
giance, to which, however, he was not so averse as many
of his brethren. He bad, in fact, written against the bull
of pope Pius V. to prove that the catholics were bound to
be faithful to their sovereigns, and in 1602 he had signed
a declaration of the same principle, without any equivoca-
cation or mental reservation, which gave great offence to
the Jesuits. Out of respect, however, to the authority of
the pope, who had proscribed that oath, he refuised to take
it, and was committed to prison. On his release he went
to Paris, and wrote some tracts against those eminent pro-
testant divines, Perkins and Abbot. Since the death of
Watson, bishop of Lincoln, the last of the popish bishops
who outlived the reformation, it had often been intended
to .re*establish the episcopal government in England ; and.
tbe marriage of the prince Charles, afterwards Charles I.
witb the Infanta of Spain, seemed to offer a fair opportu-
nity for carrying this scheme into execution, the hopes of
the catholics being considerably raised by that match. Ac-
cordingly, Dr. Bishop was consecrated at Paris, in 1623,
by the title of bishop of Chalcedon, and being sent to Eng-
land, began his career by forming a chapter, appointing
gtaad vicars, archdeacons, and rural deans, &c. but did
not enjoy his promotion long, as he died April 16, 1624.
His party speak liberally of his zeal, virtues, and learning,
and he undoubtedly was the more useful to their cause in
England, as he contrived to exercise his functions with-
out giving much offence to government. Dodd and Wood
lurre given a list of his controversial writings, which are
now in little request, but it must not be forgot that he was
the publisher of Pits's very useful work, " De illustribus
Anglie^ Scriptoribus,'* 1623, to which he wrote a very
learned preface. '
BISSAT, BI8SET, or BISSART (Patrick), professor
^ canon law in the university of Bononia in Italy, in the
sixteenth century, was descended from the earls of Fife
- I Wood's Atb. >rol. I.-*Dodd's Ch. HUt vol. 11.— FuUert Worthie?.— Biog.
Vnivenelle.
302 B I is S A T.
in Scotland, and born in that county in ttie reigii of Jaoiei
V. He was educated at St Andrew's, from whence he re-
moved to Paris, and, having spent some time in Umt uni«
versity, proceeded to Bononia, where be commented doc*
tor of laws, and was afterwards appointed professor of ca-
non law. He continued in that office several vears. with
great reputation, and died in 1568* He is said to have
been not only a learned civilian, but an excellent poet,
orator, and philosopher. He wrote " P. Bissarti opera'
omnia : viz. poemata, oratioues, lectiones ferialesj &c.^'
Venice, 1565, 4to. *
BISSE (Thomas), an English divine, was educated at
Corpus Christi collegej Oxford, where he proceeded M.A;
in 1698, B. D. in 1708, and D.D. in 1712. In 1715 he
was, chosen preacher at the Rolls, and in )7!6, on thede*
privation of John Harvey, A. M. a nonjuror, he was pre^^
sented to the chancellorship of Hereford, by his brother
Dr. Philip Bisse, bishop of that diocese. He was also a
prebendary of Hereford, and rector of Crudley and Wes-
ton. He died April 22, 1731. He was a frequent and
eloquent preacher, and published several of his occasional
sermons. Thoseof most permanent reputatipn are, 1. "The
Beauty of Holiness in the Common Prayer, as set forth in
four Sermons preached at the Rolls chapel," 1716, and
often reprinted. 2. " Decency and order in public wor-
ship, three Sermons," 1723. 3. ** A course of Seembns
on the Lord's Prayer,'* 1740, 8vo. Some '* Latin Poems"
were published by him in 1716, which we have not seen. ^
BISSET (Charles), an ingenious physician, was bom'
at Glenalbert, near Dunkeld in Perthshire, Scotland, in^
1717^ Afteracourse of medical studies at Edinburgh, he'
was appointed in 1740, second surgeon to the military bos^
pital in Jamaica, and spent several years in the Wes^ India
islands, and in admiral Vernon's 3eet, where he- acquired
a .knowledge of the diseases of the torrid zone^ Having
in 1745, cufitracted a bad stat^ of health at New Green-
wich in Jamaica, he was under the necessity of restgning^
his place of second surgeon to the hospital, and returning
to England. In May 1746, he purcha^ an ensigncy in
the forty-seqond regiment, commanded by lord John Mur<«
ray ; and by this transition, his attention being turned irom
1 Mackenzie's Lives, vol. HI. — ^Tanti€|r, who, on the nuUiarily.of DenifKteo
makes him flourish in 1401 > but see Bisarrus in Tanner.
« Nichols's Bowjer. ■
. B I S S E T. 80S
#
medical pursuits to military a^t^ijr^, fortification became His
favourite study. After a fruitless descent o» the coast of
Brittany in France in September 1746, und pasMug ibl .wiu**
t^at Limerick in Ireland, tliey were, in th^ be^unjog of
the next campaign, brought into action at Sandberg, near
Hulst in Dut«h Fiaiulers| where one D^Ueb regiment and
two £ngUsh suffered very much. Here, haying drawn a
sketch of the enemy's approaches, with the environs, and
some time after, a pretty correct oi>e o£.Bei^en-op-rZoomy
with the permanent lines, die environs, and the enetmy^s
first parallel, which were presented by lord John Murray
to his rpyal highness the lace duke of Cumheriaud, his
highness ordered. Mr. Bisset to attend the siege of that
fortress, and give due attention daily to the progress of
the attack, and to the defence, in order to take accurate
journals of them. These journals, iUusitrated with pians^
were delivered daily^ to lord John Murray, who forwarded
them to the duke, by. whose appUcatiop to the duke of
Montague, then master of the ordnance, Mr. Bisset re-
ceived a warrant a# engineer extraordinary in the brigade
of engineers which wi|s established to ser^^. in the Low
Countries during the war; and be was also promoted to a
lieutenancy io the army. The brigfule of engineers being
renformed at the end of the war, and he being at the same
time put upon the balf^pay list as lieutenant, be continued
to employ great p^rt of his time in the study, of fortifica^
tion : and in 1751, after visiting France, published bis
wmrk ^' On the Theory and Construction of Fortifications,**
8vo, and some time after, being unemployed, he resumed
the medical profession to which he bad been loriginaljy
destined, and retired to the village of Skeiton, in Cieve-
land, Yorkshire, where, or in the vicinity, be ever after
contin^ied.
In 1755, when a French war was iof^pending, he pub*
lished a y Treatise on the Scurvy, with remarks on the cuve
of scorbutic ulcers," 8vo, and in 1762, an '' Essay on the
Medical Constitution of Great Britain." . Jn 1765 the .uni<*
versity of St Andrew?s conferred upon him the degree of
M. D. in 1766, he published a volume of ^^ Medical Es<*
says and Observations," Newcastle, 3vo> cojiuaining va*
rious papers on the climate and diseases of the Wast In«*
dies. A few years before his death, he deposited in the
library of the infirmary at Leeds, a manuscript volume of
700 pages of medical observations ; and presented a trear
304 B I S S E T.
tise on forttfication to his royal highness the prince of
Wales* He published also a small tract on the naval art
of war, which, with sonie political papers and MSS. in the
possession of his widow, form the whole of his works pub-
lished and unpublished. He died at Knayton, near Thirsk,
in May 1791, in the seventy-fifth year of his age. *
BITAUBE' (Paul Jeremiah), a French poet and miscel-
laneous writer, was bom at Konigsberg, Nov. 24, 1732, of
a family of .French refugees, of the protestant religion.
After completing his education, he became a clergyman of
that communion, and appears to have formed his taste for
oratory and poetry from a frequent perusal of the Bible^
the style of the hisdorical part of which he much admired.
He was a no less warm admirer of Homer. Although a
Prussian by birth, he was a Frenchman at heart, and having
accustomed himself to the language of his family, he felt a
strong desire to reside in what he considered as properly
his native country, conceiving at the same time that the
best way to procure his naturalization would be through
the medium of literary merit. As early as 1762, he pub-
lished at Berlin a translation of the Iliad, which he called a
free translation, and was in fact an abridgment ; and this
served to introduce him to D* Alembert, who recommended
faim so strongly to the king, Frederick II. that he was ad-
mitted into the Berlin academy,^ received a pension, aiid
afterwards visited France in order to complete his transla-
tion of Homer. A first edition had been printed in 1764,
2 vols. 8vo, but the mos|: complete did not appear until
I7S0, and was followed by the Odyssey in 1785. Such
was the reputation of both among hts countrymen, that
the academy of inscriptions admitted bis iiame on their list
of foreign members. Modern French critics,' however,
have distinguished more correctly between the* beauties
and defects of this translation. They allow him to have
been more successful in his ^^ Joseph,^' a poem published
first in 1767, and with additions in 1786,. and now become
* almost a classic in France. It Was translated into English
in 1783, 2 vols. 12mo, but is certainly not likely to become
a classic in this country, or where a taste prevails for sim-
pKcity and elegance. His *^ Joseph^^ was followed by '< Les
Bataves,'' a poem of which some detached parts had ap-
peared in 1773, under the title of ** Guillaume de Nassau,**
A Gent. M»f . to). UHI. pp. 5$8, 9€5.
B I T A U B .£'• 9Gf
Amsterdam. This was reprinted in 177 5|. and again ia
1796. During: the war in 1793. as he attached himself to
the French interest, be was struck ofF the list of the aca-^
demy of Berlin, and bis pension withdrawn; but on the
peace of Bale, . his honours and his pension were restored.
if his sovereign punished him thus for acting the French-
man, he was not more fortunate with his new friends, who
imprisoned him because he was a Prussian. On the
establishment of the institute, however, Bitaub6 was chosen
of the cla$s of literature and the fine arts ; but gave a very,
bad specimen of his taste in translating the ^^ Herman i^d
Dorothea'' of Goethe, and comparing that author with^
Homer, whose works, from this opinion, we should sup-
pose he had studied to very little purpose. Some time
before bis death, which happened Nov. 22, 1808, he was
admitted a member of the legion of honour. . His ;6ther
works were : 1. ** £xamen de.la Confession de Foi du Vi-t
caire Savoyard," 1763, a very liberal expostulation with
Rousseau on account of his scepticism. 2. ^' De Tinflu-
ence des Belles-lettres sur la Philosophie,'* Berlin, J767, •
8vo; and 3. " Eloge de CoriieilW 1769, gvo : none. of
which are in the collection of his works published at Paria
in 1804, 9 vols. 8vo. ' Bitaub6 cannot be ranked among
writers eminent for genius, nor is his taste, even in the
opinion of his countrymen, of the purest standard^ but his
works procured him a considerable name, and many of
the papers he wrote in the memoirs of the Paris academy
discovej: extensive reading and critical .talents. His pri* :
vate character appqars . to have been irreproachable, ai^ ;
his amiable manners and temper procured bum many friends .
diiring the revolutionary successions. ^
BITO, a Greek mathematician, whose country is un- >
known, wrqt^ a treatise on wariike machines, which he
dedicated to Attains^ king of Pergamus, about the year :
25J9 B.C, . It is printed in Gr. and Lat in the " Mather ;
naatici Veteres," Paris, 1693, foL* i
BLACK (Joseph), one of the mo§t eminent chemical
philosophers of the last century, was born in France, on
the banks of the Garonne, in 1728. . His father, Mr. John ,
Black, was a native of Belfast, in Ireland, but of a Scotch
family, which had been some time settled there. Mr^
3l^ck resided most commonly at Bourdeaux, where b^
I Biog. UnireiMlle. f VgHtiti de Sckn^ Math.— Fabr. Bibl. Gni$,
Vot. V. X
306 h L. A C A,
carried on the wine trade. He married a daughter of Mr.
Robert Gordon of the family of Halbead, in Aberdeenshire,
who was also engaged in the same trade at Bourdeaux.
Mr. Black was a gentleman of the most amiable mtoners,
candid and liberal in his sentiments, and of no common
information. He enjoyed the particular intimacy and
friendship of the celebrated president Montesquieu, wba
most likely acquired his knowledge of the constitution of
Britain, for which he was known to have a strong partiality,
firom the informaJtion communicated by Mr. Black. Long
before Mr. Black retired from business, his son Joseph
was sent to Belfast, that he might have the education of a
British subject. He was then twelve years of age, and six
years after, in the year 1746, he was sent to continue his
education in the university of Glasgow. Being required
by his father to make choice of a profession, be preferred
that of medicine, as most suited to the general bent of
his studies.
It was fortunately at this time that Dr. CuUen had just
entered upon his great career, was become conscious of
. his strength, and saw the great unoccupied field of philo-
sophical chemistry open before him. He quickly suc-
ceeded in taking* chemistry out of the hands of mere artists,
and exhibited it as a liberal science. His pupils became
zealous chemists, as well as refined physiologists. Young
Black was particularly delighted with the science, and his
great bias to the study was soon perceived by Dr. CuUen,
who delighted to encourage and assist the efforts of his
students. He soon attached Mr. Black to himself so
closely, that the latter was considered as his assistant in
all his operations, and his experiments were frequently
referred to as good authority. Our young philosopher
bad laid down a very comprehensive plan of study, as ap«
pears from his note-books, which are still preserved. In
these be wrote down every thing that occurred to him, and
they exhibit the first germs and progress of his ideas, till
the completion of those great discoveries which produced
so complete a revolution in chemical science.
In 1750, he went to Edinburgh to finish his medical
studies, and while in that city be lived with his cousin*
german, Mr. Russel, professor of natural philosophy in
that' university. At this time the medical professors en-
tertained different opinions concerning the action of lithon-
trlptic medicine, particularly lime- water, and the students
BLACK. 807
i&- usual entered eagerly into the controfersjr* ' It
to have been this circumstance that led Mr. Black to ir h
vestigate the cause of causticity, a property in which. all
the lithoDtriptics then in vogue agreed. At first he sus^
pected that linae, during the burning of k, tniCibed aonidi
thing from the fire, which it afterwards communicates to
alkalies: this he attempted to separate and collect^ but
obtained nothing. This led him to the real cause, whldh
he detected about the year 1752, and published' apoh
after, in fats inaugural dissertation on magnesia*. Lime«<
stone her found a compound of lime and fixed air. Heat
separates the air and leaves the lime. The common alkmt
lies of commerce, are compounds of the pure alkatind
substance and fixed air. Lime abstracts the fixed air frenn
these bodies ; hence their causticity. This iaq»ortaat disf
covery was detailed at full length in the abovie disBertaiion
on magnesia and quick- lime, published 1755.
At this time Dr. CuUen was. removed to Edinburgh, anxl
there being a vacancy in the chemical diair at Glasgow^
it was immediately agreed that it could not be hestoweA.
with gr^iUier propriety than upon the author of so im«-
portant a discovery. Accordingly, Dr. Black was s^p-
pointed professor of anatomy, ahd lecturdr on chemistry in
the university of Glasgow, in 1756, but not ' oonceiviDg
himself so well qualified for filling the anatomidal. chair,
he obtained the concunrence of the university i!o eschaiige
ta^s with the professor of medicine. While in'Glasgow,
therefore, his chief business was delivering lectures on
the institutes of medicine. His reputation as a professor
increased ev^ year, and he became a fBivourite practw
tioner in that large and active city. Indeed, .the siwe^-
ness of his temper could not fail to make him a wc^teome
visitor in every family. His countenance was no le$s en*
gaging than his manner was attractive. The ladies re-
garded themselves as honoured by his attentions, particu-
larly as they' were exclusively bestowed oh those who
evinced a superiority of mental accomplishments: or pro-
priety of demeanour, and of grace and elegance of manner.
This situation, and the anxious care which he took of his
patients, may in some measure account for the little prQ»-
gross made by Dr. Black in that fine careei* of exfieri-
mental investigation which be had so auspiciously opened.
Yet his inactivity must be lamented as highly ]n|urion)[M to
X 2
f 0$ B L A C K.
science ; it displayed an indolence or carelesmess of ro^
putation not altogether to be justified.
But perhaps the other regions of chemistry held out
temptations too captivating not to engage his attention.
It was between the years 1759 and 1763, that be brought
to maturity his speculations concerning heat, which bad
occupied his attention at intervals, from the very first dawn
of his philosophical investigations. His discoveries in this
department of science were by far the most important of
all that he made^ and perhaps indeed the most valuable
which appeared during thehusy period of. the eighteenth
century. To enter fully into the nature of bis investiga^*
.ticms would be improper in this, place; but the sum of
tbem . all was usually expressed by him in the following
propositions. . .
1. When a solid body is converted into a fluid, there
enters into it^ aiid unites with it, a quantity of heat, the
presence of which is not indicated by the thermometer,
SLnA this combination is the cause of the fluidity which the
jbody assumes. On the. other hand, when a fluid body is
<sonverted into a solid, a quantity of heat separates from
it, the presence, of which was not formerly indicated by
(the thermometer. And this separation is the cause of the
-•olid form* which the fluid assumes.
, .2. When a liquid body is raised to the boiling tempe*
'ratufe by the continued and copious applicatioa of beat^
4ts particles suddenly attract to themselves a great quanti^
iof heat, and by this combination their mutual relation is so
^changed, that they.no longer attract each other, but are
Converted into an elastic fluid-like air. On the other hand,
-when these elastic fluids, either by condensation^ or by
^jtbe apjriication of cold bodies, are reconverted into liquids^
-they gtre^out a vnst quantity of beat, the presence of which
-Was not formerly indicated by the thermometer
• Thus water when converted into ice gives out 140* of
beat^ aod ice when converted into water absorbs 140* of
heat^ and vi^ter when converted into steam absorbs about
.1000* of heal: without becoming .sensibly hotter than 212^
Philosophers had been long accustomed to consider the
thermometer as the surest method of detecting heat in
bodteS) yet this instrument gives no indication of the 140*
of heat wbicfh enter into air when it is convearted into
waten HOC of the lOQO* which combine with wfttier when it
BLACK. sot
is cop verted into steam. Dr. Black, therefore, said thM
the heat is concealed (latit) in the water and steam, and-
he briefly expressed this fact by calling the heat in that
case latent heat. <
Dr. Black having established this discovery by simple
and decisive experiments, drew up an account of the whole
investigation, and read it to a literary society which met
every Friday in the faculty- room of the college, con-
sisting of the members of the university, and several gen-
tlemen of the city, who had a relish for philosophy apd
literature. This was done 'April 23, 1763, as appears by
the registers. This doctrine was immediately applied by
its author to the explanation of a vast number of natural
phaenomena, and in his experimental investigations he was
greatly assisted by his two celebrated pupils Mr. Watt and
Dr. Irvine*
As Dr. Black never published an account of his doctrine
of latent heat, though he detailed it every year subsequent
to 17€2 in his lectures, which were frequented by men of
science from all parts of Europe, it became known only
through that channel, and this gave an opportunity to
others to pilfer it from him pieee-meal. Dr. Crawford's
ideas respecting the capacity of bodies for heat, were
originally derived from Dr^ Black, who first pointed out
the method of investigating that subject.
• The investigations of Lavoisier and Laplace concerning
heat, published many years after, were obviously borrowed
from Dr. Black, and indeed consisted in the repetition of
the very experiments which he had suggested. Yet these
philosophers never mention Dr. Black at all : every thtng-
in their dissertation assumes the air of originality; and,-,
indeed, they appear to have been at great pains to prevent
the opinions and discoveries of Dr. Black from being (
known among their countrymen. But perhaps the most:
extraordinary, procedure was that of Mr. Deluc ; this phi<-.,>
losopher had expressed his admiration of .Dr. Black's IJieory '
of latent heat, and had offered to become his editor. Sf .r^
Black, after much entreaty, at last consented, and the
proper information was communicated to Mr. Deluc,: - Ati
last the ^^ Id^es sur la Meteorologie'' of that philosophers
appeared in 1788. But what was the astonishment of Dr* ;
Black and his friends^ when they found the dottjciiie^
aladftied by Deluc as his own, and an expressicm o£ satis**/
34.0 BLACK.
f«^tiott at the knowledge vAAth be had acquired of Dr.
Black!9 coincidence with him in opinion !
' Dr. Black continued in the university of Glasgow from
1756 to 1766, much respected as an eminent professor,'
much employed as an able and most attentive physician,
and much beloved as aa amiable and accomplished gentle-
man, and happy in the enjoyment of a small but select
society of friends. Often, however, says Dr. Robison,
have I seen how oppressive his medical duties were on his
8|)irits, when he saw that all his eiForts did not alleviate
the sufferings of the distressed. When his dear friend
Dr. Dick, professor of natural philosophy, was carried off,
Dr. Black's distress indeed was exceedingly great, parti-
cularly as he thought that another mode of treatment might
have been more successful.
In 1766 Dr. CuUen was appointed professor of medicine
in the univei^ity of Edinburgh, and thus a vacancy was
made in the chemical chair of that university. Dr. Black
was with universal consent appointed his successor. In this
new scene his talents were more conspicuous, and more
extensively useful. He saw this, and while he could not
but be highly gratified by the great concourse of pupils
which the high reputation of the medical school of Edin*
burgh brought to his lectures, his mind was forcibly im*
pressed by the importance of his duties as a teacher*
This had an effect whichj perhaps, was on the whole ra-
ther unfortunate. He directed his whole attention to his
lectui^s, and his object was to make them so plain that
they should be adapted to the capacity of the most illite-
rate of his hearers. The improvement of the science
seems to have been laid aside by him altogether. Never
did any man succeed more completely^ His pupils were
not oilly instructed, but delighted. Many became hki
pupils merely in order to be pleased. This contributed
greatly to extend the knowledge of chemistry. It became
in Edinburgh a fashionable part of the accomplishment of
a gentleman,
' Perhaps, also, )be delicacy of his constitution precluded
Jiilh from exertion ; the slightest cold, the most trifling
approach tp repletion, iriimediately affected his breast,
oottasibned feverishness, and, if continued for two or tbreo
days, brought 6n a spitting! of blood. :Nothing restored
but refaaaticp of thought and gentle exercise.' Th^
9 L A C K. 3U
sedentary life to which study confined him wa? manifestly
hurtful, and be never allowed hinoself to indulge in any
intense thinking witbput finding these complaints sensibly
increased. ,
So completely trammeled was he in this respect, that»
although his friends saw others disingenuous enopgh to
avail themselves of the novelties announced by Dr. Black
in his lectures, and therefore repeatedly urged him to
publish an account of what he had done ; this remained
unaccomplished to the last. Dr. Black often began the
task, but was so nice in his notions of the manner in which
it should be executed, that the pains he took in forming a
plan of the work, never failed to affect his health, and
oblige him to desist. Indeed, he peculiarly disliked ap-
pearing as an author. His inaugural dissertation was the
work of duty. His <^ Experiments on Magnesia, Quick-
lime, and other alkaline substances," was necessary to pu^t
what he had indicated in his inaugural dissertations on a
proper foundation. His ^^ Observations on the mojre ready
Freezing of water that has been boiled," published in the
Philosophical Transactions for 1774, was also called for;
and his ^^ Analysis of the Waters of some boiling Springs
in Iceland," made at the request of bis friend T, I. Stan-
ley, esq. was read to the royal society of Edinburgh, ai^d
published by vthe council And these are the only works
of his which appeared in print beforp the publication of his
lectures after his death, by professor Robison, in 1803,
2 vols. 4to.
The aspect of Dr. Black was comely and interesting.
His couatenance exhibited that pleasing expression of in*,
ward satisfaction, which, by giving ease to the beholder,
never fails to please. His manner was unaffected and
graceful. He was affable, and readily entered into con-
versation, whether serious or trivial. He was a stranger
to none of the elegant accomplishments of life. He had
a fine musical ear> with a voice which would obey it in
the most perfect manner ; for he sung and performed pa
the flute with great taste and feeling, and could sing a
plain air at sight, which many instrumental performed
cannot do. Without h^viug studied drawing, he had acr
quired a considerable power of expressing with his pencil
and seemed in this respect to have the talents of a history
painter. Figure, indeed, of every kind, attracted his at«
tention. Even a retort, or a crucible, was to his eye an
S12 B L A C K.
Example of beauty or deformity. He had the strongest
daim to the appellation of a man of propriety and correct*
ness. Every thing was done in its proper season, and be
ever seemed to have leisure in store. He loved society,
and felt himself beloved in it ; never did he lose a single
friend> except by the stroke of death. His only appre-
hension was that of a long continued sick bed ; less, per«
haps, from any selfish feeling, than from the consideration
of the trouble and distress which it would occasion|to at-
tending ftiends : and never was this generous wish more
completely gratified. On the 26th Nov. 1799, and in the
seventy-first year of his age, he expired without any con-
vulsions, shock, or stupor, to announce or retard the ap-
proach* of death. Being at table with his usual fare, some
bread, a few prunes, and a measured quantity of milk di-
luted with water, and having the cup in his hand, when
the last stroke of the pulse was to be given, he set it down
on his knees, which were joined together, and kept it
steady with his hand, in the manner of a person perfectly
at ease ; and in this attitude expired, without spilling a
drop, and without a writhe in his countenance, as if an
experiment had been required to shew to his friends the
facility with which he departed. His servant opened the
door to tell him that some one had left his name ; but
getting no answer, stepped about half-way towards him,
and seeing him in that easy posture, supporting his bason
of milk with one hand, he thought that he had dropt asleep,
which sometimes happened after his meals. He went
back and shut the door; but before he went down stairs,
some anxiety, which he could not account for, made him
return again, and look at bis master. Even then he was
satisfied 'after coming pretty near him, and turned to go
away ; but returning again, and coming up close ta him,
be found him without life.
To this sketch, abridged from professor Robison's life
for the Literary Journal, we have only to add, that Four«
croy, the eminent French chemii^t, used to call Dr. Black,
the illustrious Nestor of the chemical revolution, and
indeed, in every part of Europe, where > chemistry has
been studied. Dr. Black was named with peculiar vene-*
iration. ^
• ■
I life tthj snpra.-7^6e also Bibliotheque Britaimi^ue, voL XXVlIL
BLACK A L L. 31S
r. BLACKALL (Offsprinq, D. D.)> an eminent Engluk
jdivine, was born in London, 1654, and educated at Ca»-
iherine-hall, Cambridge. In 1690, he was inducted into
the living of South Okenden, Essex, and four years after-
wards to the rectory of St. Mary Alderinary, London ; and
.was successively chosen lecturer of St. Oiave's, and of St.
Dunstan's in the West. He was likewise appointed chap*
.lain to king Wiliiani. He preached before the house of
commons Jan. 30, 1699, and in bis sermon animadverted
•on Mr. Toland for his asserting in his life of Milton, that
Charles I. was not the author of ^^ Icon Basitike," and for
.some insinuations against the authenticity of the holy
scriptures ; which drew him into a controversy with
that author. In 1700, he preached a course of sermons at
Boyle^s lecture, in the cathedral church of St. Paul, which
were afterwards published. In 1707, he was consecrated
to the bishopric of Exeter. Burnet, having mentioned
;him and sir William Dawes as raised to bishoprics, tells
us, ^^ that these divines were in themselves men of value
and worth ; but their notions were all on tbe other side.
They had submitted to. the government; but they, at least
Blackall, seemed to condemn the revolution, and all that
had been done pursuant to if And it. is asserted in an
anonymous pamphlet, published in 1705, that he had re-
fused for two years to take the oath of allegiance to king
William. - But what contributed most to his fame in his
life- time was a controversy he had with Mr. (afterwards
bisho{}) Hoadly, which was occasioned by his sermon upon
liom. xiii. 3, 4, entitled, ^^ The Divine Institution of
Magistracy, and the gracious design of its institution,*'
preached betbre the queen at St. Jameses on Tuesday,
March 8, 1708, being the anniversary of her< majesty's
happy accession to the throne, and published by her ma-
jesty's special command. The next year, 1709, Mr.
Hoadly animadverted upon the bishop's sermon, in a piece,
(entitled ^^ Some Considerations humbly offered to the right
reverend the lord bishop of Exeter, occasioned by his lord*
ship's sermon before her majesty, March 8, 1708." Upon
.this the bishop published ^^An Answer to Mr.Hoadly's Let-
ter," dated from Bath, May the lOth, 1709. Mr. Hoadly en*
deavoured to vindicate himself, in ^.^ An humble Reply to